UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION • Office of the Secretary Washington, D.C. 20436 FOR RELEASE September 27, 1978 CONTACT: Kenneth R. Mason USITC 78-119 USITC FINDS NO INJURY ON IMPORTS OF FISH FROM CANADA The United States International Trade Commission today notified the Secretary of the Treasury that an industry in the United States is not being injured by reason of the importation of certain fish from Canada, upon which the Treasury Department has determined a bounty or grant is being paid. Five Commissioners--Chairman Joseph 0. Parker, Vice Chairman Bill Alberger, and Commissioners George M. Moore, Catherine Bedell, and Italo H. Ablondi--made the unanimous determination. Commissioner Daniel Minchew did not participate. This is the Commission's third investigation under the U.S. countervailing duty law (sec. 303 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended), which provides for Commission investigations with respect to duty-free articles. On June 27, 1978, the Commission received advice from the Secretary of the Treasury that a bounty or grant is being paid by the Government of Canada on certain fish exported to the United States. The investigation resulted from a petition which was filed with the Treasury Department on June 10, 1977, by the Fishermen's more 2 Marketing Association of Washington, Inc., Seattle, and supported by the Point Judith Fishermen's Cooperative of Narragansett, Rhode Island. The Commission's investigation was instituted on July 13, 1978, and a public hearing in connection with the investigation was held on August 15, 1978, in Washington, D.C. The fish and fish products covered by the investigation consist of certain groundfish and groundfish products. The term "groundfish" includes cod, cusk, haddock, hake, flounder, sole, dabs, and fluke. Flounder, sole, dabs, and fluke are also known as flatfish. In the aggregate, the subject imports accounted for 17 percent of total U.S. imports of all groundfish and groundfish products and about 14 percent of total U.S. consumption of such articles in 1977. Groundfish and groundfish products accounted for about 30 percent of all the fish and fish products consumed in the United States last year. An estimated 700 New England and 300 west coast fishing vessels land groundfish in the United States. U.S. production of groundfish and groundfish products increased from 147 million pounds fillet weight in 1975 to 174 million pounds in 1977. During January-June 1978, production amounted to 96 million pounds, 8 percent above production in January-June 1977, when 89 million pounds were landed. U.S. imports for consumption of all groundfish and groundfish products increased from 652 million pounds fillet weight in 1975 more USITC FINDS NO INJURY ON IMPORTS OF FISH FROM CANADA to 733 million pounds in 1977. Imports of the subject groundfish and groundfish products from Canada grew from 84 million pounds fillet weight in 1975 to 126 million pounds in 1977. During January-June 1978, imports of the subject groundfish from Canada amounted to 51 million pounds, compared with 45 million pounds during January-June 1977. Copies The Commission's report, Certain Fish From Canada (USITC Publication 919), contains the views of the Commissioners and information developed in the investigation (No. 303-TA-3). may be obtained by calling (202) 523-5178 or from the Office of the Secretary, 701 E Street NW., Washington, D.C. 20436. 000 CONTENTS Statement of reasons of Chairman Joseph 0. Parker, Vice Chairman Page Nature and extent of the bounties or grants being paid or bestowed--- A-11 Direct payments to fishermen for fishing vessel construction----- A-11 Indirect assistance in the form of Government construction of port facilities and processing plants and other subsidies---- Volume of goods potentially subject to countervailing duties--- Financial experience of domestic producers-- Consideration of the causal relationship between Canadian imports Letter of advice from Robert H. Mundheim, General Counsel of the Treasury to the Chairman, United States International Trade Appendix C. United States International Trade Commission notice of investigation, public hearing, and request for written views, as |