FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 28, 2003
Contact:  Marie DesOrmeaux
(202) 225-3772
 
Ross Praises Vietnamese Tariff Ruling as Victory for Arkansas Catfish Farmers
 
(Washington, D.C.) Fourth District Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.) today announced a victory for Arkansas catfish producers following a ruling by the United States Commerce Department, which says Vietnamese catfish imported into the U.S. should face penalty tariffs as high as 64 percent.

“This ruling will have a tremendous impact on our local catfish farmers,” Ross said.  “They have fought hard to survive amidst a number of unfair Vietnamese trade practices.  As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, I have had a unique opportunity to play a significant role in helping our local catfish producers, and we’re not finished yet.” 

Ross contacted the Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission, voicing strong support for the antidumping petition filed in 2002 by the Catfish Farmers of America, seeking relief from unfairly traded fish imports of frozen basa and tra fillets from Vietnam.  He voted for the Disapproving Most Favored Nation Status for Vietnam (H.J.Res101) Resolution in protest of Vietnam flooding U.S. markets with the “so-called” catfish at prices that hurt Arkansas catfish farmers.  Ross was also instrumental in the passage of legislation in last year’s Farm Bill that prohibited imported Vietnamese basa and tra fillets from being labeled as “catfish.”   

“Last year, roughly 20 million pounds of Vietnamese frozen fillets were sold in the United States,” Ross said.  “A majority of those were labeled as ‘catfish,’ when they are not even of the same species.  The same amount in Delta farm-raised catfish represents $40 million dollars.  The catfish industry in the Delta is hurting, and imposing a tariff in addition to prohibiting Vietnamese exporters from mislabeling their fish will save jobs in Arkansas and throughout the Delta region.”


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