The Hindu Business Line : US Govt urged to curb shrimp imports on food safety

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US Govt urged to curb shrimp imports on food safety

Shrimp trade charges USFDA with failing to ensure quality controls

Journey southwards
Fish Infonetwork says Indian shipments to the US fell mainly because of the rupee turning strong.
Increase in crude oil prices, slowdown in economy, reduction in consumer confidence and health scare, particularly with regard to Chinese imports, were the main factors to pull down imports.

M.R. Subramani

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Chennai, May 16

The Southern Shrimp Alliance, an alliance of eight states in the US to protect the shrimp industry, is now pressing Washington to curb imports of shrimp on grounds of food safety or what is known as phyto-sanitary measures.

WTO ruling

Undaunted by a ruling of the World Trade Organisation that the US demand from exporting countries to execute bonds equivalent to the value of shipments was illegal, the alliance says the US Government should now appeal against the ruling by a dispute settlement panel.

Quality controls

The Alliance is also charging the US Foodand Drung Admnistartion with failing to ensure quality controls on imported shrip. It has said hardly one per cent of the total imported shrimp was controlled. It is of the view that exporting countries should have health laws for exports that would meet the US food safety standards.

The Alliance is basing its aggressive campaign on the grounds that the US consumers were being affected, unable to distinguish between safe and unsafe shrimp.

More Inspection sought

Supply of contaminated or unsafe shrimps in the US was pushing the prices down and thus dragging down the overall prices for the marine product, it says. The Alliance has sought more inspection at countries where shipments originate, more checking and banning imports from countries that do not meet the quality parameters.

The Alliance campaign, if successful, could have an impact on imports of shrimp by the US, according to a report by Fish Infonetwork, an arm of the Food and Agriculture Organisation. As such, prospects for improvement in shrimp demand in the US this year were not bright, it said.

Falling trend

This comes on the heels of the volume of imports by the US falling to a 10-year low last year. Shrimp imports by the US fell 5.56 lakh tonnes valued at $3.9 billion – a fall of 5.7 per cent in volume and 5.1 per in value compared with 2006.

Thailand

While Thailand shrimps gained market share in the US, countries such as India and China witnessed a fall in their share.

India

Volume of Indian shrimp imports fell 23.8 per cent (to 20,775 tonnes) and the drop in value was 22.7 per cent (to $194 million).

According to Fish Infonetwork, Indian shipments to the US fell mainly because of the rupee turning strong.

The fall in the US import trend was across the board and several factors affected the shrimp market last year.

Increase in crude oil prices, slowdown in economy, reduction in consumer confidence and health scare, particularly with regard to Chinese imports, were the main factors to pull down imports.

Thailand was the main supplier to the US, accounting for 34 per cent of the total traded volume and 32 per cent of the import value. Ecuador with 11 per cent share, followed next.

Chinese imports

Chinese imports to the US fell 25 per cent in terms of volume. Its share in the US shrimp market slid to 8.7 per cent from 11.5 per cent.

The per capita shrimp consumption in the US also slid 10.7 per cent last year from 4.6 kg to 4.1 kg. The decline was due to lower imports and a 45 per cent drop in landings.

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