Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday appealed to the Centre to standby the aqua sector which is facing loss due to the heavy duties levied by the US.
In a letter to the Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, the Chief Minister asked the Centre to make efforts to get exemption from the additional tariff imposed by the US administration as the fisheries sector had a crucial role in the State’s Gross Domestic Product (GSDP).
The US had imposed a 27 per cent import duty on marine food exports from India. In FY23-24, India exported marine food products worth $2.55 billion to the US, of which shrimp alone accounted for 92 per cent, Naidu said in his letter, adding that the US had imposed a only 10 per cent duty on countries like Ecuador.
The Indian exporters were already bearing a 5.77 per cent countervailing duty (CVD), he said.
The US duty came into effect on April 5 due to which all shipments to the US are to face this additional burden. Products already harvested based on previous orders have been packed and are now in cold storages and ports, the Chief Minister said, according to a release.