U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith has expressed approval for a recent decision to impose antidumping and countervailing duties on frozen warmwater shrimp imports from Ecuador, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam. This measure is intended to support the Mississippi shrimp industry by addressing what Hyde-Smith describes as unfair trade practices by these countries.
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) affirmed petitions against these imports, acknowledging that they have caused material injury to the U.S. shrimping industry. Hyde-Smith stated, “The ITC deserves credit for recognizing that an important American industry has been under siege from unfair foreign actors.” She emphasized that the imposed duties should aid Mississippi shrimpers and processors in maintaining competitiveness.
Hyde-Smith highlighted issues such as child and slave labor and the use of illegal drugs and chemicals on foreign shrimp farms as factors contributing to low production costs abroad. In her October letter to ITC Chair Amy Karpel, she argued that these practices make it difficult for U.S. producers to compete.
As part of her role on the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, Hyde-Smith has also engaged with Biden administration officials regarding their approach to shrimp imports from countries like Ecuador. In May, she secured commitments from the Food and Drug Administration commissioner for data on FDA inspections of Ecuadorean shrimp imports.
Additionally, in April, Hyde-Smith criticized the U.S. Department of Commerce’s handling of related investigations concerning Ecuadorean shrimp imports. She expressed concern over what she views as leniency towards Ecuadorean companies’ requests and deviations from standard procedures.
“I am committed to ensuring your agency takes appropriate actions to protect this industry that is so essential to the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” Hyde-Smith wrote in a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
