BILOXI, Miss., Aug. 9, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Members of the Coalition of Gulf Shrimp Industries (COGSI) will be testifying on Tuesday, August 13 at the International Trade Commission (ITC) in Washington, D.C., on an international trade case that COGSI brought against hundreds of millions of pounds of unfairly subsidized shrimp imports from seven nations. COGSI members who are testifying process shrimp throughout the Gulf. Elected officials from Louisiana and Mississippi will also testify in favor of the domestic industry. Additionally, a range of U.S. Senators, U.S. Representatives and governors are submitting letters and testimony for the Commission's consideration.
"COGSI is grateful for the support of all the national, state and local public officials who have provided their input to the ITC," said COGSI Executive Director David Veal.
Eddy Hayes, COGSI legal counsel and partner at Leake Anderson added, "These elected representatives understand the importance of the shrimp industry to coastal communities across the Gulf."
All these witnesses will be highlighting billions of dollars in egregious government subsidies from China, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam that have endangered the survival of the Gulf and South Atlantic shrimp industries. Representatives of the foreign governments and their industries will also have the opportunity to testify.
"We look forward to the opportunity to present our case to the ITC on Tuesday," said Elizabeth Drake, chief counsel of the case and partner at Stewart and Stewart. "We hope to prevail and secure relief for the domestic industry from unfairly subsidized shrimp imports," she added.
The next step in the case will occur on September 19, when the six members of the International Trade Commission will vote on whether the U.S. industry is being injured by subsidized imports. If they vote in the affirmative, countervailing duties will be imposed to offset the subsidies benefitting imported shrimp. An enclosed fact sheet provides further information.
Details on the public hearing on COGSI's ITC Shrimp Case follow.
DATE: August 13, 2013
TIME: 9:30 a.m.
PLACE: International Trade Commission, 500 E Street, SW, Washington, D.C.
Questions on Logistics: Bill Frymoyer, Stewart and Stewart, (202) 247-0150
This hearing is open to the press. Interviews can be arranged with public officials who will be testifying.
About the Coalition of Gulf Shrimp Industries: The Coalition of Gulf Shrimp Industries was formed to support these petitions and to work for the long-term survival of the entire Gulf shrimp industry. The domestic producers supporting the petitions account for the vast majority of domestic U.S. production, and they represent the industry across the coastal states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and Texas. For a fact sheet with more information on the cases, go to www.gulfshrimpcoalition.com.