THAI SHRIMP INDUSTRY ASKS FOR AD RELIEF

UNCLAS BANGKOK 001899 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT PASS FOR U.S. INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION DEPARTMENT PASS FOR USTR/AUSTR WEISEL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD TH SUBJECT: THAI SHRIMP INDUSTRY ASKS FOR AD RELIEF ¶1. On March 15, the Embassy received a delegation representing the Thai shrimp industry. The delegation, comprised of the heads of several regional shrimp farmers associations, the Thai Shrimp Association, and the Thai Marine Shrimp Farmers Association, presented to the Economic Counselor a 2-page letter addressed to the "U.S. International Trade Commission via His Excellency the U.S. Ambassador to Thailand," requesting the "elimination of antidumping suit against Thai shrimp." The letter expresses the Thai peoples' gratitude to the U.S. for its "lending hands and support" to tsunami victims, and summarizes the damage caused to the shrimp industry by the December 26, 2004 tsunami. SIPDIS ¶2. Economic Counselor extended the Embassy's condolences to all who lost their loved ones or livelihoods in the tsunami disaster. We then outlined the responsibilities and independent status of the U.S. ITC, and the basic procedures and general prospective timeline of a changed circumstances review. Given the ITC's independent status and role in any possible future changed circumstances review of the Thai shrimp injury and AD determination, we noted that the delegation's letter should properly be sent to the ITC directly. To this end, we promised to provide the delegation with technical instructions on how to do this (basically, those stated in the relevant Federal Register notice and those published in the Commission's procedural regulations, especially 19 C.F.R. sec 201.8). ¶3. Separately, we understand that the Royal Thai Government has submitted, or will soon submit, its comments to the U.S. ITC in connection with the Commission's current examination of whether the tsunami's impact on the Thai industry warrants a changed circumstances review. BOYCE BOYCE