​​​The Oregon Trawl Commission (OTC) joined the Southern Shrimp Alliance and members of the domestic crawfish industry in formally requesting that the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) initiate a Section 301 investigation, with a particular focus on the use of unapproved antibiotics and veterinary drugs in farm-raised seafood production in China, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The petition asks USTR to examine how the continued use of these substances constitutes an unfair trade practice that puts downward pricing pressure on U.S. seafood producers operating under much stricter safety standards.

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Certain antibiotics and veterinary drugs, such as chloramphenicol and nitrofurans, are largely unapproved in the United States for use in aquaculture because of their potential to cause antimicrobial resistance and, in some cases, because they are known to be carcinogenic and genotoxic. The possible harm caused by these drugs has resulted in heavy regulation in the United States, with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintaining a very limited list of approved drugs for use in farmed seafood raised for human consumption.

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Despite the recognized health concerns with the use and consumption of these unapproved drugs in aquaculture production, farmed seafood that violates U.S. standards continues to be imported into the U.S. at an alarming rate. Together, China, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam account for nearly one-third of the total value of U.S. seafood imports. While these countries have existing regulatory frameworks for the use of antibiotics and veterinary drugs in aquaculture, the enforcement of food safety standards is not comparable to that of the U.S. Since 2019, approximately 77% of FDA seafood entry refusals due to drug residues came from these four countries. 

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Not only does the existence of veterinary drugs in farm-raised seafood produce various health concerns for consumers, but the use of these drugs also represents an unfair trade practice that harms domestic seafood industry. Because U.S. seafood producers are held to higher food safety standards, they are subject to higher costs. By allowing the use of these substances, countries like China, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam enable their seafood producers to boost production, lower costs, and consequently flood the U.S. market with artificially cheap seafood that U.S. producers cannot compete with. 

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American seafood producers are now struggling to compete for sales in the seafood market and face extinction in the commercial sector. Since 2017, Oregon groundfish and coldwater pink shrimp fishermen and processors have faced declining revenue, profits, and employment. The average price of groundfish landed in Oregon decreased to $0.55 per pound, while the average price of Oregon pink shrimp decreased to $0.42 per pound – the lowest price in years.

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The petition highlights the urgent need for trade enforcement to restore fair competition and to protect public health. A Section 301 investigation into the use of veterinary drugs in farm-raised seafood from China, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam would empower the U.S. government to address these unfair practices.

 

“For Oregon seafood producers like those represented by the Oregon Trawl Commission, this kind of relief is essential,” said Director of the OTC, Yelena Nowak. “It’s about leveling the playing field for domestic, sustainable fisheries by stabilizing prices and preserving a viable domestic seafood sector that has existed in Oregon for generations. It’s also about protecting American consumers and ensuring only high-quality seafood is sold in the U.S.”

 

Read the July 14, 2025, letter to the USTR here.​

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