WAFB-TV Baton Rouge, La.
Sen. Cassidy wants to slap tariffs on imported shrimp; shrimpers agree
VIDEO: Senator Cassidy introduced the India Shrimp Tariff Act this week, proposing a 40% tariff on shrimp imported from India by 2028.
By Liam Combs
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Senator Cassidy introduced the India Shrimp Tariff Act this week, proposing a 40% tariff on shrimp imported from India by 2028. Mike Anderson II, owner of Mike Anderson’s restaurant, said this would be great for business.
“When it goes through that many different hands and different processing, it just gets worn out after that,” Anderson said. “It just doesn’t even have a shrimp feel; it has a rubber feel. So, you can taste it pretty quick.”
Imported shrimp is cheaper because there are fewer regulations overseas than in the U.S., Cassidy said. “By leveling the playing field, this bill protects Louisiana seafood and the jobs that depend on it,” he added.
If passed, the bill would start off slow, with a 10% tariff next year and ratcheting up to 40% by 2028. President Trump has signaled his support for this and other pieces of legislation to support Louisiana shrimp producers and oppose unfair trade practices, Cassidy said.
“It’s a hard business. Our fishermen went from making a great living to hardly making anything because everything is so out of touch,” Anderson said.
On the other hand, some businesses that sell imported shrimp will naturally have a cut to their bottom line if this bill passes. “They will have to go up on their prices, which will affect their customer,” Anderson said. “Because that’s why the customer is going to them, they’re getting a cheaper product.”
Mississippi Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith joins Cassidy in authoring the legislation.
“For too long, Indian shrimp has been dumped on the U.S. market with minimal penalty or regulation, which has come at the expense of domestic shrimpers, processors, restaurants, and consumers. Senator Cassidy’s common-sense legislation will help put our domestic industry on a more level playing field, and I will work with him to move this bill forward for the benefit of Gulf Coast shrimpers and everyone who enjoy domestic shrimp,” said Hyde-Smith.