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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.


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