Lawmakers backing ITC approval of antidumping duties

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), along with Congressman Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.), today praised U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) approval of a five-year extension of antidumping duties that they say have served to protect the U.S. shrimp industry from unfair import practices.

Cochran, Wicker and Palazzo were among the lawmakers who earlier this year urged the ITC to continue antidumping duties on frozen warmwater shrimp imports from Brazil, China, India, Thailand and Vietnam. The ITC voted 5-1 today to extend the current duties until 2016 on all five countries.

The Mississippi lawmakers, in communications with the ITC, argued that the antidumping duties initially imposed in 2005 continue to be needed to protect the Gulf Coast shrimp industry.

Cochran and Wicker appeared at an ITC hearing Feb. 1 to testify that the duties have been effective in fostering price stability and industry investment. Palazzo was one of four members of the House of Representatives who wrote the ITC in late January to express their strong support for the continuation of the antidumping duty orders.

Source: Office of Sen. Thad Cochran