US slaps record 35.29% preliminary anti-dumping duty on Vietnamese shrimp, sparking backlash

The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) has imposed a preliminary anti-dumping duty of 35.29 percent on frozen warmwater shrimp imported from Vietnam - the highest rate in 19 years - prompting strong reactions from Vietnamese exporters and the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

On Saturday, the DOC released preliminary results of its 19th administrative review (POR19) of the anti-dumping duty order on Vietnamese shrimp imports, covering the period from February 1, 2023 to January 31, 2024, according to VASEP.

Thong Thuan Company Limited, based in south-central Binh Thuan Province and one of the mandatory respondents in the review, was found not to have engaged in dumping and was assigned a zero percent margin.

In contrast, the other mandatory respondent, Soc Trang Seafood JSC (STAPIMEX), headquartered in Soc Trang Province in the Mekong Delta, was preliminarily assigned a dumping rate of 35.29 percent.

Notably, the same temporary high rate was also applied to 22 other companies that qualified for separate rate status but were not selected as mandatory respondents.

This deviates from the DOC's usual practice of assigning these firms a weighted average of the margins applied to the mandatory respondents.

VASEP and the affected companies expressed shock and deep concern over the unusually high rate, the association said in a press release.

In the 19 years since Vietnam began participating in these administrative reviews, no Vietnamese company has ever received a double-digit preliminary duty, VASEP noted.

The case recalls the 12th review (POR12), when Sao Ta Food JSC (FIMEX VN) was initially assigned a 25.76 percent rate due to a calculation error, which was later corrected to 4.58 percent in the final result.

Therefore, VASEP and the companies involved believe that similar errors or miscalculations may have occurred during the current review.

"STAPIMEX will promptly submit additional documentation, and we are confident the final result will accurately reflect the reality - that Vietnamese shrimp are not dumped on the U.S. market," VASEP stated.

Although the preliminary result is not immediately enforceable and could be revised in the final decision expected in December 2025, VASEP warns that the psychological impact is already evident.

Many U.S. importers are now hesitant to place new orders, with some delaying or reducing purchases from Vietnamese partners.

This is directly affecting Vietnamese shrimp exporters and farmers, as well as the domestic supply chain.

VASEP has urgently called on the DOC to review its calculations and ensure that the final result is objective, fair, and consistent with past precedents - thereby protecting the legitimate interests of Vietnamese enterprises and maintaining stable trade relations between the two countries.

According to VASEP, the U.S. has long been Vietnam's largest shrimp export market, accounting for around 20 percent of the country's annual shrimp export turnover.

Vinh Tho - Cong Trung / Tuoi Tre News

(2025/06/09-10:07)