An Added Weapon in Trade Cases

When a coalition of domestic shrimpers filed a trade case against imported shrimp from Brazil, China, Ecuador, India, Thailand and Vietnam, American shrimp processors, the restaurant industry and importers opposing the case turned to the PRG team for assistance.  Striking on two fronts, the PRG team employed strategic communications and government relations to draw attention to the implications of the trade case for U.S. consumers, U.S. shrimp processors and the U.S. economy.  The team successfully generated dozens of editorials condemning the domestic shrimp producers’ case in newspapers that included The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.  PRG generated support from Members of Congress, who urged U.S. Commerce Department officials to bring an unbiased outcome to the dispute.  As in a number of similar trade cases, PRG’s work helped bring about a favorable decision that imposed relatively low import duties, far below what domestic petitioners had sought – allowing overseas producers to avoid being shut out of the U.S. market.