Fisheries and Aquaculture
July 11, 2007
Major Progress Made
on European Union Shrimp Tariff
The Honourable Tom
Rideout, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, today said that he is
extremely pleased that the amount of cooked and peeled shrimp that can
enter the European Union (EU) at a reduced tariff has now been doubled.
This comes following the approval of the EU to increase the autonomous
tariff rate quota (ATRQ) from 10,000 MT to 20,000 MT.
�The EU tariff on
cooked and peeled shrimp is a major irritant for the Newfoundland and
Labrador seafood industry,� said Minister Rideout. �It is prohibitive
and negatively impacts the ability of our seafood industry to compete in
Europe, and reap the full benefits of that very lucrative marketplace.
To that end, we are pleased to see another significant step forward in
reducing this barrier.�
In June, the
proposal to bring this increase to effect went before the EU Council of
Ministers for consideration.
�It is clear that
the efforts of our government, in collaboration with those of the
Government of Canada and industry, are indeed paying off,� continued
Minister Rideout. �The Provincial Government has made addressing this
tariff a top priority from the beginning. In our first year in office,
Premier Danny Williams traveled to the EU to immediately raise the
issue, and my visit to Europe last fall was driven significantly by the
need to raise this issue again. Following my visit, I was confident
that relief was forthcoming, and this is the second time since then that
the ATRQ has been increased.�
In November, the
ATRQ was increased from 7,000 MT to 10,000 MT.
The minister added
that the Provincial Government will continue to work with industry and
the Government of Canada to build on the progress achieved today.
�While we commend
today�s announcement, our work is not yet complete,� said Minister
Rideout. �The Provincial Government will not be completely satisfied
until this tariff is eliminated fully, and Newfoundland and Labrador can
finally compete fairly with jurisdictions such as Iceland, Norway,
Greenland and the Faroe Islands, all of which are permitted to send
shrimp to the EU without similar irritations of any such tariffs.�
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Media contact:
Danny Pond
Communications Specialist
Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture
709-729-6076, 685-3415
dannypond@gov.nl.ca
2007 07
11 4:10 p.m. |