[StBernard] Supporting our seafood industry

[Westley Annis]

Dear  Friend,


	

I know how important the seafood industry is in  Louisiana, supporting
thousands of jobs and our way of life.  That's why I  introduced an
amendment to the federal budget that would protect the domestic  industry
from unsafe imports and unfair trade practices. 

	

First, it would allow for legislation to require tougher  inspection and
testing requirements for imported seafood products.  We  should do more to
ensure that imported seafood products do not contain  chemicals, antibiotics
or any substances that are banned in the United  States.  

	

Also, the amendment seeks to end "port shopping," a  practice used by many
importers who attempt to bring rejected shipments of  seafood into another
port.  It calls for legislation to create procedures  to prevent the import
of rejected seafood.  I believe that seafood  imported should not be able to
avoid rules that our domestic producers have to  follow.  

	

Finally, my amendment seeks to address the major problem  of unenforced
trade laws.  It calls for legislation to increase the  collection of
antidumping duties that are assessed on unfairly traded imported  seafood
products.  Between 2003 and 2008, more than $560 million in  antidumping
duties owed on imported seafood products went uncollected,  amounting to 70
percent of what should have been paid.  Our trade laws are  not effective to
protect our domestic seafood industry if they go unenforced more than 70
percent of the time.  

	

I'll continue working on these and other measures to  support the seafood
industry, which is so vital to Louisiana.


Sincerely,
David Vitter
U.S.  Senator