Ecuador disagrees with U.S. new tariff on shrimp

After that on last Wednesday night, the U.S. Department of Commerce issued a statement in which it was decided to impose a 13.5% anti-subsidy tariff for Ecuadorian shrimp exports, which entered the country without tariffs, authorities and representatives of the export sector reject the measure.

The Coordinating Minister of Production, Employment and Competitiveness, Richard Espinoza, announced that “we absolutely disagree with a decision made by the United States, saying that we have been giving subsidies to shrimp, which is totally false.”

The Ecuadorian government has one week to decide whether to appeal the American resolution or to file a formal complaint to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Members of the National Aquaculture Chamber (CNA) will meet today with the Ambassador of Ecuador in the United States, Nathalie Cely, and Minister of Foreign Trade, Francisco Rivadeneira.

Last December, the Coalition of Gulf Shrimp Industry, American unionization, denounced Ecuador and several other countries of using subsidies, thus generating cheapened production and alleged unfair competition.

Ecuadorian shrimp may now enter the U.S. with a 13.5% anti-subsidy tariff.