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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 19, 2003
DEAL BETWEEN SSA, MEXICO "NOT SURPRISING"
STATEMENT BY ASDA PRESIDENT, WALLY STEVENS
December 19, 2003 - According to recent news reports, the Southern
Shrimp Alliance
(SSA) has agreed to exempt shrimp fishermen and shrimp farmers in
Mexico from SSA's
antidumping case against shrimp imports, which SSA's spokesperson
said it will file
" within days."
Mexico is one of the world's largest shrimp producers and exporters,
and the United
States is its main export market. For well over a year, the SSA
has repeatedly accused
the Mexican shrimp industry of dumping shrimp in the U.S. market.
The SSA did not
specify the amount of compensation or other benefits that it received
from Mexico in
return for this exemption.
This announcement comes as no surprise to ASDA. It has been rumored
for many
months that the SSA was seeking to make a deal with the Mexican
shrimp industry.
However, the deal between the Mexican industry and SSA does not
affect in any way the
strength of ASDA's defenses to any petition.
While ASDA has worked tirelessly to assist the domestic shrimp
industry on many fronts,
we have at the same time prepared ourselves - as have the "targeted"
countries - to
defend against any dumping allegations. We will vigorously defend
free trade and the
interests of the American consumer.
Contacts:
Warren Connelly, Akin Gump Hauer Strauss & Feld LLP (202)
887-4046
Wally Stevens, Slade Gorton & Company, Inc. (617) 541-3114
Jeanne McKnight or Lisa Brandli, ASDA Public Relations (206) 441-4591
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