The American Shrimp Processors Association (ASPA) filed a petition on 15 April with the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) requesting a ban on imports ofshrimp products made with "forced labour" from India under Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930.

Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 prevents the entry into the United States market of any product that is mined, produced or manufactured in whole or in part by forced labour, including forced or child labour.

According to ASPA President Trey Pearson, "The brutal working conditions documented in the Indian shrimp industry are appalling, and these producers are exploiting the most vulnerable workers and then exporting artificially low prices for their products to the U.S. to the detriment of our domestic fishermen and processors.ASPA will do everything in our power to fight back against these heinous practices and defend American shrimp producers! ."

ASPA also accused the Indian government of failing to enforce its most basic labour laws and providing subsidies to Indian shrimp producers without providing specifics on forced labour.

Last year, ASPA asked the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) to include Indian, Ecuadorian, Indonesian and Vietnamese shrimp products in a countervailing investigation, with U.S. countervailing duties taking effect from April 1 this year, and importers beginning to post deposits, with Indian producer rates ranging from 3.89 per cent to 4.72 per cent.

During the investigation, if investigators determine that these countries are not providing illegal subsidies and are not harming the U.S. shrimp industry, then the duty will be refunded. The final countervailing duty decision is not expected to be announced until autumn or winter 2024.

Indian shrimp accounts for 40 per cent of U.S. shrimp imports, and the U.S. imported more than 650 million pounds of frozen shrimp products from India in 2023, valued at about $2.3 billion.