EC Proposes Extended Duties on Vietnam Shoes

The European Commission (EC) yesterday August 30 formally proposed extending tariffs on leather shoes imported from Vietnam and China, ignoring the profound split among 25 EU countries about this protection measure.

 

Under the EC’s new proposal, duties of 10 per cent and 16.5 per cent will be imposed on Vietnamese and Chinese shoes, respectively, for five years. However, the duties must be agreed by a majority of the total 25 EU members before October 6 this year. 

 

Nordic countries such as Britain, Germany, Denmark and Sweden, and EU retailers protested against the proposal while footwear manufacturing nations in Southern Europe led by Italy said the above duties are still too low.  

 

At present, the EC is imposing temporary anti-dumping tariffs of up to 16.8 per cent and 19.4 per cent on leather-capped shoes from Vietnam and China. 

 

Both Vietnam and China confirm they do not dump their shoes in the EU market. Vietnam said the local footwear industry is significant to its socio-economic development, so the anti-dumping duties has caused adverse impacts on the developing country’s economic development and poverty reduction. 

 

Vietnam is the fourth largest exporter of footwear to the EU, behind China, Hong Kong and Italy with an export value of $2.3 billion last year.
P.V