Indian Shrimp Exports To US Get Cheaper.

March 3: Indian shrimp exports to the United States will now become cheaper with the US department of commerce reducing the anti-dumping duty to 1.6 per cent from 2.67 per cent. This would boost fortunes of about 69 exporters —most of whom are from Andhra Pradesh.

The duty was imposed in 2004 claiming that India was selling shrimps to the US at a lower price, which in turn was affecting the US shrimp industry. The anti-dumping duty was calculated by taking three firms as samples to represent the industry as a whole. They were Devi Seafoods and Apex Exports of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa-based Falcon Marine Exports.

“The reduction in duty should prove beneficial to the industry and given the present trend, there is likelihood of the duty being withdrawn after the next review,” said Mr Anwar Hashim, national president of the Seafood Exporters Association of India.

The reduction of anti-dumping duty comes at a time when shrimp shipments have gone up to 31,569 tonnes worth Rs 1,537 crore from February 1, 2009 to January 31, 2010 from 16,267 tonnes valued at Rs 639 crore in the earlier review.

Starting April, the country has shipped out 39,230 tonnes worth Rs 1,609.1 crore as against 26,306 tonnes worth Rs 802.6 crore during the same period last year.

Source : deccanchronicle.com