The United States International Trade Commission (ITC) today determined that a U.S. industry is materially injured by reason of imports of certain frozen fish fillets from Vietnam that the U.S. Department of Commerce has determined are sold in the United States at less than fair value.

All four Commissioners voted in the affirmative.

As a result of the Commission's affirmative determination, the U.S. Department of Commerce will issue an antidumping duty order on imports of certain frozen fish fillets from Vietnam.

The Commerce Department previously made an affirmative critical circumstances determination with regard to these imports. Therefore, the Commissioners who made an affirmative injury determination today are required to evaluate whether the imports are likely to undermine seriously the remedial effect of the antidumping duty order Commerce will issue. All four Commissioners made negative findings with regard to critical circumstances in this investigation. As a result, the antidumping duty order concerning these imports will not apply to goods that entered the United States prior to January 31, 2003, the date of the Department of Commerce's affirmative preliminary determination.

The Commission's public report Certain Frozen Fish Fillets from Vietnam (Investigation No. 731-TA-1012 (Final), USITC Publication 3616, August 2003) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigation.

Copies may be obtained after August 27, 2003, by calling 202-205-1809 or from the Office of the Secretary, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. Requests may also be made by fax to 202- 205-2104.

Product Description: The imported product subject to this investigation is certain frozen fish fillets, including regular, shank, and strip fillets, whether or not breaded or marinated, of the species Pangasius Bocourti, Pangasius Hypophthalmus, (also known as Pangasius Pangasius), and Pangasius Micronemus, otherwise known collectively as "basa and tra," and currently provided for in subheading 0304.20.60 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS).

Status of Proceedings:
1.   Type of investigation: Final phase antidumping duty.
2.   Petitioner: Catfish Farmers of America, and several individual U.S. catfish processors.
3.   Investigation instituted by USITC: June 28, 2002.
4.   Final phase of investigation scheduled by USITC: Jan. 31, 2003.
5.   Hearing: June 17, 2003.
6.   USITC vote: July 23, 2003.
7.   Transmittal of USITC determination to Department of Commerce: August 6, 2003.

U.S. Industry:
1.   U.S. producers in 2002: 25 (approx.).
2.   Location of producers' plants in 2002: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
3.   Production during 2002 (1,000 pounds): 108,469.
4.   Average number of production workers during 2002: 2,918.
5.   Apparent U.S. consumption during 2002: 184,164,000 pounds.
6.   Apparent U.S. consumption during 2002: $385,988,000.

U.S. Imports:
1.   Quantity of subject imports during 2002: 36,046,000 pounds.
2.   Share of quantity of total imports accounted for by subject imports during 2002: 
	98.4 percent.
3.   Share of quantity of apparent U.S. consumption accounted for by subject imports 
        during 2002: 19.6 percent.