Over the past decade, US catfish producers have been collectively engaging in protectionist rent seeking against lower-priced import competition, most notably from Vietnam. This one-sided strategy, which has ironically characterized the so-called Catfish Wars thus far, has lead to the imposition of several nontariff barriers (NTBs). For Vietnamese exporters, uncertainty as to trade conditions in the United States, including the ultimate impact of the low-visibility NTBs in existence, has been a persistent problem. This problem is characteristic of a contemporary phenomenon affecting exporters worldwide: the prevalence of disguised forms of protectionism. Viewing the Catfish Wars as a rent-seeking problem, this article discusses the incentives and other factors that lead to disguised protectionism. Further, it discusses how exporters doing business in the United States can reduce the potential impact of disguised protectionism though coordinating with consumer-oriented groups.
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