“This preliminary decision is a victory for our local catfish producers who have struggled to compete with Vietnamese imports,” Ross said.  “Our producers have lost millions of dollars as a result of the impact Vietnamese trade practices have had on our country.  First, they labeled another species of fish as ‘catfish,’ and then, after the amendment I added to last year’s Farm Bill prohibited that false labeling, the price of the fish was lowered beyond the cost of production to compete with our domestic product.  In its investigation, the Department of Commerce found that Vietnamese exporters were selling frozen fillets at prices that will harm our local producers – with margins ranging from 36.84 to 63.88 percent.  I am a proponent of fair trade, but these Vietnamese producers are not playing fair.” 

If the ITC makes a final affirmative determination that critical circumstances do exist with regard to imports of frozen fish fillets, antidumping duties will be assessed retroactively on goods imported from certain Vietnamese producers up to 90 days prior to the publication of the Department's preliminary determination. 

The dumping investigation comes after a June 28, 2002 antidumping petition filed by the Catfish Farmers of America.  Ross wrote a letter of support for that petition, and also voted for the Disapproving Most Favored Nation Status for Vietnam (H.J.Res 101) Resolution in protest of Vietnam flooding U.S. markets with frozen fillets at prices that hurt Arkansas catfish farmers.