(VOVworld)- The US Department of Commerce has decided to impose high anti-dumping duties on tra and basa fish fillets imported from Vietnam. This decision will heavily affect Vietnamese enterprises. Dao Tran Nhan, Vietnamese Minister Counselor for Trade in the US said: “With the decision made at the 8^th administrative review on imported Vietnamese tra and basa fish fillets, the US Department of Commerce has imposed very high tariffs on Vietnamese enterprises. Vinh Hoan company will be subject to a tariff level of 19 cent per kilo. We estimate that Vinh Hoan company will have to pay 3.5 million USD worth of taxes calculated from August 2010 to August 2011”.

Mr. Nhan said that in its previous 7 reviews, the US Department of Commerce based on Bangladesh situation to calculate taxes imposed on Vietnam. But in this review, DOC suddenly chose Indonesia as the sole benchmark country. Mr. Nhan says: “I think that the decision was strongly lobbied by interest groups in the US. The US Catfish Association lobbied the Department of Commerce to change the sole benchmark country to increase taxes to prevent Vietnamese tra and basa fish from competing with US catfish”.

Next year, DOC will conduct its 9^th review. Mr. Nhan proposed Vietnamese enterprises prepare for this review by providing necessary statistics at the request of DOC and lawyers.

VOV correspondent in US