Apr 2, 2004 11:47 AM, from staff and wire reports

Representatives of United States seafood distributors, grocers, processors, and restaurants warn that a $2.4 billion dumping petition filed by a small group of domestic shrimpers against imports from six nations could again make shrimp a delicacy only the rich can afford and adversely impact thousands of American workers.

This warning came during a press conference announcing the Shrimp Task Force, an alliance between the Consuming Industries Trade Action Coalition and the American Seafood Distributors Association, to fight a petition filed with the International Trade Commission.

The trade case was filed Dec 31, 2003, against Thailand, China, Vietnam, India, Ecuador, and Brazil, which account for about 75% percent of shrimp imports in the US market, with a value of $2.4 billion. Petitioners are alleging dumping margins ranging from 30% to more than 200%.

An economic analysis done by The Trade Partnership found that 20 US shrimp-consuming jobs are involved in processing or distribution for every US shrimp-producing job, a 20-to-1 ratio, or 250,000 jobs to about 13,000. Higher prices for shrimp, if duties are imposed, will cause some of these jobs to disappear, and the salaries of others to suffer.