US issues record-high preliminary decision on anti-dumping tariffs on Vietnamese shrimp
The US Department of Commerce (DOC) has hit two dozen of Vietnam’s shrimp exporters with a record-high preliminary anti-dumping tax rate of 35.29%.
The preliminary decision is based off the Department’s 19th administrative review on anti-dumping duties for frozen warmwater shrimp imported from Vietnam, which ran from February 1, 2023 to January 31, 2024.
The DOC named Seafood Joint Stock Company (STAPIMEX) and Thong Thuan Company Limited (Thong Thuan) as mandatory respondents. It was determined that STAPIMEX sold shrimp at prices below normal value during the review period, and that Thong Thuan did not sell its products at less than fair value.
Both companies have been assigned the preliminary rate of 35.29%, which represents the highest in 19 years of Vietnamese shrimp.
While these duties are revised annually, leading to importers and packers being able to anticipate preliminary announcements, Expana Seafood Market Reporter Angel Rubio says that the current environment is more complex, with reciprocal tariffs adding uncertainty. According to Rubio, “Vietnamese exporters now face combined duties that could reach 74.6% when stacking the new reciprocal tariffs with existing CVDs and anti-dumping duties. These escalating costs inevitably flow through the supply chain, resulting in higher consumer prices and compressed margins for intermediary players. The psychological impact is evident – U.S. importers are hesitating on new orders, delaying purchases, and affecting Vietnamese farmers and the domestic supply chain.”
Both STAPIMEX and Thong Thuan maintain that dumping has not occurred and plan to submit additional evidence to the DOC. Although the preliminary findings are not final, The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) says the announcement has already disrupted trade plans.
Vietnam currently imposes 13% in tariffs and taxes on U.S. shrimp imports, while the U.S. historically imposed near-zero tariffs on Vietnamese shrimp.
The final results on anti-dumping tariffs on Vietnamese shrimp are expected in December of 2025.
Seafoodnews
