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Anti-dumping duties to continue

By: Jeff James

Listed Under: Top Story

Published: Tuesday, December 22, 2009

EU Ministers have voted in favour of extending the anti-dumping duties on leather footwear imported from China and Vietnam for a further 15 months - the second time the term has been extended since the duties were originally imposed in 2006.

The European Footwear Alliance, which represents brands such as adidas and Ecco, says the duties -16.5 per cent on leather footwear from China and 10 per cent from Vietnam - will result in the payment of anti-dumping duties well in excess of one billion euros by European footwear businesses, which will ultimately be paid for by EU consumers.

“The continuation of the anti-dumping duties on footwear for another 15 months is completely unacceptable,” says Manfred Junkert, director of the Federation of the German Footwear Industry, a member of the European Footwear Alliance.

“It shows that, despite all the public rhetoric, the EU prefers to follow its protectionist course at the expense of successful European footwear businesses and consumers. Economic logic and due process have been utterly disregarded throughout this case.

"Our only hope left is that, this time round, the EU will actually honour its commitment to end these onerous duties after 15 months and not a day more.”

UK Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said: "I am disappointed the EU has decided to extend these duties - they should have been allowed to end as originally agreed.

"A small majority of member states did not oppose the measures, even though they are no longer justified."

The European Footwear Alliance says it’s exploring every legal option to challenge what it described as an ‘unjust outcome’.

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