North American Senator Bill Cassidy has introduced two bills to protect the rice and shrimp industry in Louisiana from unfair competition posed by cheap products from China and India in the U.S. markets.
In this manner, the senator has proposed two protectionist mechanisms to ensure that food products comply with fair health and trade standards.
"When you eat seafood gumbo, you expect the shrimp and rice to be grown in Louisiana with our health standards," said Cassidy. "Americans' health should not be harmed because some countries have chosen not to play by the rules. Bringing China and India into compliance will level the playing field for Louisiana shrimpers and the food they produce."
India is the world's leading shrimp exporter and accounts for a significant portion of shrimp imports into the U.S., primarily due to the substantial state subsidies it receives. Thus, the "Indian Shrimp Tariff Act" proposes increasing U.S. tariffs to levels equivalent to the subsidies received by the Indian shrimp industry. This measure, which has garnered support from various organizations and state-owned enterprises, aims to level the playing field for North American producers.
"India isn't the dominant supplier because it is better at farming shrimp than the rest of the world. Rampant use of banned antibiotics in their aquaculture, tolerance for forced labor practices in their peeling sheds, and substantial export subsidies awarded by the Indian government are killing this market," said John Williams, the Executive Director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. "American consumers and the U.S. shrimp industry deserve better and we are grateful for Senator Cassidy's leadership in tackling this problem."
Furthermore, this is not the only product to which it applies; it also extends to rice through the "Prioritization of Offensive Agricultural Disputes and Law Enforcement Act." This act established a task force to proactively monitor and address Chinese industrial subsidies for rice.
Southern Shrimp Alliance comprises shrimp fishermen, shrimp processors, and other members of the domestic industry in the eight warmwater shrimp-producing states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas. The SSA represents the interests of these individuals and entities, who are all part of the shrimp industry in the Southern region of the U.S.