The newly formed Shrimp Task Force said the case could end up hurting many US industries and consumers.

The case, involving 2.4 billion dollars in imports, "could make shrimp once again a delicacy only the rich can afford and adversely impact thousands of American workers," the task force said in a statement.

The quasi-judicial US International Trade Commission voted in February for a finding against shrimp and prawns from Brazil, China, Ecuador, India, Thailand and Vietnam.

It said there was a "reasonable indication" that the imported crustaceans, allegedly being dumped in the United States at unfair prices, harm or threaten the local industry.

That means the Department of Commerce will press ahead with anti-dumping investigations and make a preliminary finding -- which could mean import tariffs or quotas -- by about June 8, the ITC said.

The industries petitioning in the case are seeking duties of 30 percent to over 200 percent.

The new coalition includes the Consuming Industries Trade Action Coalition, which fought the hotly contested US steel tariffs.

"The goal of the Shrimp Task Force is to guarantee that shrimp continues to be widely available at a reasonable price for American consumers, and to ensure that the 250,000 American workers employed in shrimp consuming industries are not harmed by this petition," said Erik Autor of the National Retail Federation, part of the new coalition.