Tensions are brewing in Washington over the US-India trade framework, with Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins sounding the alarm on its fallout for American shrimpers. In a direct appeal to President Trump, the Republican lawmaker outlined how reduced tariffs on Indian seafood threaten to overwhelm the market with substandard imports, jeopardizing jobs and quality standards along the Gulf Coast.
Higgins opened his letter with admiration for Trump’s trade vision but pivoted sharply to the shrimp sector’s vulnerabilities. India, a top supplier, had been curtailed by earlier tariffs that boosted US producers. Reopening those floodgates, he cautioned, invites farm-raised shrimp from operations ignoring robust environmental and health protocols – a far cry from the pristine wild Gulf varieties.
The letter paints a compelling picture of the disparity: US shrimpers uphold stringent labor and sustainability rules, delivering top-tier products, while imports skirt such responsibilities. To mitigate risks, Higgins proposed layered defenses, including tougher anti-dumping and countervailing duties, alongside shrimp-focused safeguards and invocation of laws permitting destruction of hazardous imports.
‘Louisiana fishermen are hardworking Americans deserving of equal footing,’ Higgins implored, urging swift administrative steps for equitable trade policies. Seafood has long been a contentious arena in US trade policy, especially for states reliant on fishing. With India and the US eyeing expanded market access, this dispute illustrates the tightrope walk between diplomatic gains and protecting homegrown sectors.