The US government has upheld the imposition of anti-dumping duties on shrimp imported from China and Vietnam, the Commerce Department announced on Tuesday.

In a final determination, the government set punitive duties on frozen and canned warm-water shrimp from China at levels ranging from 27.9 percent to 112.8 percent, depending on the company. And shrimp imported from Vietnam will be hit with duties ranging from 4.1 percent to 25.8 percent.

A government investigation found that shrimp from the two countries was being sold in the US market at "less than fair value," the Commerce Department said.

Last summer, the US International Trade Commission made a preliminary ruling on the case brought by the Southern Shrimp Alliance and penalty tariffs have been collected by border agents since July.

The Southern Shrimp Alliance, grouping warm-water wild shrimp fishery industries from eight southern US states, alleged the US industry was on the brink of destruction because of the flood of cheap foreign shrimp.

The Commerce Department is scheduled to make a final decision on shrimp imports from four other countries -- Brazil, Ecuador, India and Thailand -- in late December.

The case against all six countries will go back to the US International Trade Commission for a final ruling early next year on whether shrimp imports from those countries are harming the US domestic industry. If the commission upholds its preliminary ruling of harm, the final anti-dumping order will be issued.