Minh Phu Group Shrimp Imports Under EAPA Investigation
CBP is investigating whether MSeafood evaded antidumping duties on imported frozen shrimp, CBP said in a Jan. 14 notice to the company that was released by the Southern Shrimp Alliance. The investigation is a result of allegations submitted by the Ad Hoc Shrimp Trade Enforcement Committee in July last year. MSeafood is said to have evaded an AD order on frozen shrimp from India through transshipment.
The shrimp group said that MSeafood, a subsidiary of the Minh Phu Group in Vietnam, illegally imported India-origin shrimp into the U.S. through Vietnam. The allegation included data that shows the Minh Phu Group “has continued to import substantial quantities of frozen shrimp from a wide variety of India frozen shrimp producers,” it said. Also alleged is that the Indian shrimp “have not qualified for the 'Green List' under the” Food and Drug Administration's import alert and such shrimp “would be subject to detention if they had been shipped directly to a U.S. port.”
Based on statements from the Minh Phu Group about a lack of capacity in 2019, data submissions showing imports of Indian shrimp and the information from the allegation, there is an established “reasonable suspicion” that MSeafood entered covered shrimp from India into the U.S. through evasion, CBP said. The agency is imposing interim measures, including rate adjustments to unliquidated entries and suspended liquidation for entries after Oct. 9, 2019, it said. CBP will also require “live entry” for “all future imports for MSeafood.” The agency may also pursue additional enforcement actions, it said.
CBP “has once again shown that they take seriously any potential efforts to evade the payment of antidumping duties,” said John Williams, executive director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. “Much is being asked of CBP. Our industry is grateful to CBP’s leadership and to everyone within the agency that is working to stamp out trade fraud for continuing to make enforcement a priority.” MSeafood did not comment.