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Minh Phu (MPC) yet to face anti-dumping tax stateside
Minh Phu Seafood Corporation has yet to be notified following accusations of not paying anti-dumping duty in the United States, according to a Minh Phu press release on June 7.
Minh Phu said that the firm received information saying that Darin LaHood, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, had sent a letter asking the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to investigate the alleged evasion of anti-dumping duty by Minh Phu Corporation.
The request stemmed from an email sent to LaHood accusing Minh Phu of importing frozen shrimp from India and exporting them to the U.S. market with made-in-Vietnam labels attached.
Minh Phu, however, said that the corporation has yet to receive a request or announcement concerning anti-dumping duty from CBP, or any U.S. agency.
“The firm’s shrimp exports to the United States are being executed as usual,” according to the press release.
According to Minh Phu Corporation, a lawyer for the firm in the U.S. said that after CBP receives demands or allegations from relevant agencies or State authorities of other countries, CBP will spend 95 days considering these allegations and reviewing, prior to a launch of investigations, in line with U.S. regulations. CBP will announce the results of investigations after finishing an anti-dumping probe, Minh Phu said.
“As such, the letter from LaHood is only a demand based on the accusation from one side, without any evidence. It is not a decision or a conclusion relating to the problem from the U.S. agency,” the press release said.
The firm also stressed that it has yet to be informed of the investigation from CBP.
Minh Phu’s products have been shipped to over 50 countries in the global market, including Japan, Canada, Europe and South Korea, according to the firm.
Further, its frozen shrimp manufacturing factory, with total capacity of 90,000 tons of frozen shrimp per year, is ranked among the top five shrimp processing plants in Asia.
Minh Phu exported 67,000 tons of shrimp in 2018, with the shrimp shipment to the U.S. market accounting for below 40%, and earning US$750 million in export revenue.
The corporation has some 1,400 hectares under shrimp farming in many parts of Vietnam, such as Ca Mau City, Kien Giang Province, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province and Ninh Thuan Province.
Minh Phu said that shrimp imports from India made up 10% of the total input volume of the firm’s shrimp production.
“The import of input materials to deal with the shortage of domestic materials is normal, and is employed by not only the seafood processing sector, but also many other fields. It is legal in every nation,” according to the press release.
saigontimes
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