EU shoemakers threaten legal action on dumping duty

Tag : low shoe
Vietnam - BRUSSELS, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Italian and other shoemakersthreatened legal action against the European Commission on Saturdayif the EU executive decides to scrap anti-dumping duties on importsof Chinese and Vietnamese leather footwear.
European retailers and global shoemakers, which manufacture in thetwo low-cost Asian countries, say Brussels must axe the "shoetaxes", especially as a weak economy is hitting shoppers.
A majority of European Union countries have rebelled against a planto keep the duties, which are due to expire next month. EU nationaltrade experts on Wednesday pressured EU trade chief Peter Mandelsonto rethink his decision to agree to calls for a review that wouldextend them for up to 15 months.
The European Confederation of the Footwear Industry and the ItalianFootwear Manufacturers' Association, in an open letter to Mandelsonpublished in Saturday's Financial Times, said the experts had takeninto account only the interest of a few firms.
The trade experts were "bluntly putting aside the detrimentalimpact which a negative decision would have for the whole of theEuropean footwear industry", the letter said, calling their opinionlegally and economically flawed.
The industry confederation could take action including a demand fordamages, the shoemakers said.
A spokesman for Mandelson, who is due to visit China next week,said: "The Commission is in the process of taking a final decisionon this issue and it will be made public in the coming days."
The 27-country EU regularly splits over dumping cases between thosemember countries supporting freer trade and those worried aboutChinese competition for their own manufacturers.
The shoe duties were introduced in 2006 only after a compromisedeal to keep them in place for just two years, instead of the usualfive.
Italy and some other shoe-making countries in Europe have pressedfor the duties to be extended, a move opposed by other Europeancountries that have long called the measures protectionist andunjustified. (Reporting by Dale Hudson; Editing by Matthew Jones) Copyright 2008 Reuters, Click for Restriction
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