NEW ORLEANS: Tariffs on shrimp imports from four Asian nations and Brazil have been extended until 2016, a boost to American fishermen on the Gulf Coast and the Atlantic seaboard hit hard by hurricanes, a flood of cheap farm-raised shrimp and the BP oil spill. On Tuesday, the US International Trade Commission in Washington voted 5-1 to extend the duties on shrimp from India, Thailand, Brazil, Vietnam and China. The tariffs were initially imposed in 2005 after the ITC found that imports had injured, or were likely to injure, US shrimp processors and fishermen who claimed imports were being dumped on the US market at unfair prices and driving them out of business. The tariffs have netted more than $186 million for the US industry. C. David Veal, the head of the American Shrimp Processors Association, said the duties would “keep a level playing field in place for US shrimpers.” The Southern Shrimp Alliance, a coalition of US shrimpers, said cheap imports severely damaged the domestic industry. The group says shrimp prices fell and fishermen went out of business. “The domestic shrimp industry was on the brink of collapse,” said John Williams, head of the alliance. He said the duties shored up the US shrimp market and allowed prices to level off. “Last year's oil spill was just the latest obstacle for the shrimp industry,” said Williams.
