By Alabama Public Radio
Mobile, AL – The shrimping industry in Alabama is celebrating a major victory in the fight against imported shrimp. The Commerce Department is proposing tariffs on certain shrimp from China and Vietnam. The preliminary ruling sides with Southern shrimpers who claim the two countries illegally dump shrimp into the domestic market at artificially low prices. Those in the shrimp industry have been struggling from rock bottom prices since 2001. Tuesday's ruling is viewed as a big win for the cash-strapped shrimpers...but critics say tariffs could drive up shrimp prices and reduce consumption. Meanwhile...there are other moves by Louisiana industries to get relief from foreign competition selling products at below-market prices. The crawfish industry has already won its case against Chinese crawfish imports. And now the Louisiana crab industry is also working to rally support in Alabama and other Southern states for an anti-dumping petition. The petition would call for duties on imports from nations including Venezuela. The crab industry is working to file the petition with the U.S. Department of Commerce. The Louisiana Crab Task Force wants support from Southern crabbers and processing plants in states including Alabama, Texas, Mississippi and Florida.