Bush’s Trade Protection Extends to Shrimp

One might hope that aquafarming would both increase income for Asian suppliers of shrimp as it allows American consumers to enjoy lower prices from this excellent source of nutrition. But the trade protectionists rule the Bush White House:

Shrimp, the most popular seafood in America, may become more expensive soon as a result of new tariffs that the U.S. government is considering on imports from some countries in a move to bolster domestic shrimp production and prevent dumping, or sales at artificially low prices. On Tuesday, the Commerce Department announced preliminary tariffs on shrimp imported from China and Vietnam. Tariffs on sales from Thailand, Brazil, Ecuador and India may be imposed by the end of the month.