Increase in anti-dumping duty by U.S. on Indian shrimp a cause for concern
Andhra Pradesh has requested the Government of India (GoI) to solve the problem caused by an increase in anti-dumping duty imposed by the U.S. on Indian shrimps from 1.35% to 3.96% with retrospective effect from 2023-24, which entails a burden of ₹600 crore on seafood exporters from the State.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, AP Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker and State Aquaculture Advisory Committee (SAAC) member K. Raghu Ramakrishna Raju and AP State Aquaculture Development Authority (APSADA) Co-Vice-Chairman Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu requested the Union Ministers of Finance, and Industry & Commerce to resolve the issues faced by seafood exporters in India by diplomatically engaging with the shrimp importing countries, particularly the U.S.
He insisted on inclusion of harmonised system codes of Indian shrimp under the exemption list in order to protect the livelihood of lakhs of farmers and workers, and prevent the collapse of the sector that significantly contributed to the Gross State Domestic Product.
SAAC recommendations
They said the SAAC studied the issues that cropped up after the U.S. imposed the reciprocal tariffs on seafood exports from India, and came up with short, medium and long-term strategies for sustainability of the sector.
The short-term measures included a reduction in the input costs such as lowering the power tariffs, waiver of import duties on brood-stock and feed to ease production pressure, waiver of 5% GST on packaged shrimp to unlock local consumption, stabilising farm gate prices, securing access to the European Union (EU) and small markets, enhancing export compliance by ensuring strict implementation of traceability for the sake of reducing export rejections, and leveraging re-export potential by activating fish re-export hubs and streamlining the port clearances.
Mr. Ramakrishna Raju said the medium-term strategies recommended were to enforce 100% registration of farms, tackle trade barriers, promote cluster farm management, and expand product lines by incentivising ready-to-eat / cook shrimp for premium global markets. The long-term strategies included achieving brood-stock sufficiency, species and market diversification, and strengthening bio-security institutional reforms quality compliance.
Mr. Venkata Ramana Reddy said the department had completed geo-tagging of all the existing 2.07 lakh aquaculture ponds and 3,800 aquaculture business units in the State and assigned 11-digit unique codes.
A traceability app intended to create a digital platform with a central dashboard, real-time monitoring and analytics was in the process of development. APIIC Chairman M. Rama Raju was among others present.
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In this, my role model is Piloo Mody, who was one of the best speakers in Parliament.' Chandran passed away in October 2010. R. Sarath Kumar Tamil film star R. Sarath Kumar, known for his transformation from screen villain to hero, entered the Rajya Sabha in 2001, the same year as comedian S.S. Chandran. His nomination by the DMK came as a surprise — even to the actor himself. Just hours after Jayalalithaa announced her party's Rajya Sabha candidates, DMK leader M. Karunanidhi unveiled Sarath Kumar's name, catching political observers and the actor off guard. At the time, Sarath Kumar was busy shooting for the film Samudram at A.V.M. Studios. Having joined the DMK in 1998, Sarath Kumar had previously contested the Lok Sabha elections from Tirunelveli but lost. Still, his active involvement in the South Indian Film Artistes' Association, where he served as secretary, helped him gain political visibility. Reflecting on his nomination, he said: 'I strongly feel that my outspokenness, sincerity, and the boldness with which I approach a subject made Mr. Karunanidhi feel that I am the best choice for the MP's post.' He added that he intended to speak in Parliament about the controversial arrests of M. Karunanidhi and two Union Ministers on June 30, 2001. 'If an opportunity comes, my maiden speech in Parliament could be about the imposition of Article 356 (President's Rule) in Tamil Nadu,' he said. However, Sarath Kumar's political affiliations shifted over time. In 2006, he quit the DMK, later had a brief association with the AIADMK, and eventually launched his own party — the All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi. In 2024, he merged his outfit with the BJP. (Note: Another prominent Tamil film personality from outside the acting world to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha is music maestro Ilaiyaraaja in 2022.)
