Working Paper: NBER ID: w14495
Authors: Irene Brambilla; Guido Porto; Alessandro Tarozzi
Abstract: In 2003, after claims of dumping, the U.S. imposed heavy tariffs on imports of catfish from Vietnam. As a result, Vietnamese exports of catfish to the U.S. market sharply declined. Using a panel data of Vietnamese households, we explore the responses of catfish producers in the Mekong delta between 2002 and 2004. We study adjustments not only in catfish aquaculture but also in other economic activities. We find that, over this period, the rate of income growth was significantly lower among households relatively more involved in catfish farming in 2002. The source of this slower growth is explained by a relative decline in both catfish income and revenues from other miscellaneous farms activities such as poultry and livestock farming. Households did not adjust labor supply, most likely because of off-farm employment limitations. We also document that households more exposed to the shock reduced the share of investment assigned to catfish, while substituting into agriculture.
Keywords: Antidumping; Trade Policy; Vietnamese Catfish; Household Income; Mekong Delta
JEL Codes: F13; F14
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| US antidumping duties (F18) | income growth of catfish farmers (Q22) |
| US antidumping duties (F18) | catfish income growth (Q22) |
| exposure to US antidumping duties (F18) | income growth of low-exposure households (D19) |
| exposure to US antidumping duties (F18) | income growth of high-exposure households (R20) |
| exposure to US antidumping duties (F18) | growth in income from miscellaneous farm activities (Q12) |
| exposure to US antidumping duties (F18) | share of investment assigned to catfish (Q22) |
| exposure to US antidumping duties (F18) | agricultural investments (Q14) |