New US probe of Thai shrimp

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Published: 21 Jan 2013 at 00.21
Online news: Local News

WASHINGTON - The US Commerce Department said Sunday it may impose duties on $4.2 billion a year in shrimp, more than half of it imported from Thailand, for allegedly getting unfair government subsidies.

Shrimp in the US now typically come frozen, in a bag or box, from Thailand, with labelling in several languages for sale in Chinese-owned supermarkets and in Canada.

China, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia also are subject to possible penalties for "dumping" - selling shrimp in the US at prices below local markets. But Thailand, which supplies more a quarter of the US shrimp market, stands to suffer the most.

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benp
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Discussion 16 : 21 Jan 2013 at 18.0516
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i agree with fezman (disc 10). i try my best to support local traders rather than the big boys out there ie tesco's and big c. obviously there are certain things i cannot buy locally or by the travelling sales trucks that come around.
most of my clothes are bought in local markets provided they are made in thailand and i always get a good deal!
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ianprince
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Discussion 15 : 21 Jan 2013 at 17.1115
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So USA do not want cheap food?
Charge the Farang a higher price (double pricing).
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ubuntu
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Discussion 14 : 21 Jan 2013 at 12.0114
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Disc 2

"will Thailand ever be able to sell its rice?"

That rice, albeit "dirty rice" for the way it came about, could be sent free of charge and transparently to many regions of the world to help feed the starving and most vulnerable of this planet. Call it a way to prevent karma
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DonAleman
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Discussion 13 : 21 Jan 2013 at 11.4613
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Thailand "duties,fees,miscellaneous" costs added to many/most imports cost the Thai
purchaser billions of baht annually and many imports simply don't reach Thai shores at all. That being said I never understood why, with plenty of shrimp and shrimpers, the U.S. allows any import of them at all and, as they do, slap them with very high duties so they are at least competitively priced to the U.S. product -30 % !
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dao
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Discussion 12 : 21 Jan 2013 at 10.3012
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My aunt was a shrimp farmer in Nakhon Si Thammmarat .She was forced to close by the Thaksin governemnt .There are now large commercial farms run by corporations with more ponds than you can count .I cant imagine the large scale pollution this causes .I would also like to know what hormones the shrimp are given and if they are indeed safe to eat .
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mutley
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Discussion 11 : 21 Jan 2013 at 10.2011
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I asked the wife and got the stock answer,'This is Thailand'. (?)
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fezman
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Discussion 10 : 21 Jan 2013 at 10.1410
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go to tesco ,big C the stuff there is more expensive than in Aus , a coffee mug was twice the price of Oz and it would have been alot cheaper to send it here from china.food is real expensive in there ,go to the local market get it some times for a quarter of the price and so are coffee mugs,tools,clothes etc.
I will always support the local guy rather than the big stores ,go to the locals .
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rod266
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Discussion 9 : 21 Jan 2013 at 10.039
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AHHH This is all part of Thaksin's grand plan to manipulate the rice market..is simple you take subsidised shrimp ..mix with over priced shallots and rice and some mushroom and chopped pork (soon to be subsidised)andvoila! special Thai fried rice!
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rastas
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Discussion 8 : 21 Jan 2013 at 09.118
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Another case of Thailand crying 'Not Fair', when they are one of the worst when it comes to protecting local industries. Have a look at the cost of imported cars compared to the cost of the same car in other countries. Discussion 3 BKK-boy, gave a good example just from the Ikea catalogue.
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derbyram
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Discussion 7 : 21 Jan 2013 at 09.027
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Bubba would not be impressed.
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New US probe of Thai shrimp | Bangkok Post: news