|
Shoe firms face EU dumping tariffs
The National Association of Italian Footwear Manufacturers (ANCI) is planning to ask the European Union to renew anti-dumping tariffs on non-athletic leather shoes exported to the EU from China and Vietnam, the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade reported yesterday.
The 10 per cent anti-dumping tariff, due to expire on October 7 this year, was introduced in 2006 after the EC ruled leather shoes from Vietnam and China were being sold at "unfair prices" in the European market.
The anti-dumping measures were roundly criticised by exporting nations in 2006. Since then, however, EU attempts to lesson the impact of its antidumping policies have fallen flat as politicians across Europe, faced with weakening economies, have grown more sensitive to complaints from manufacturers.
They are also concerned about job losses from companies that shift production to Europe.
"We are preparing the paperwork now to file to the commission to ask to extend the tariffs," said ANCI chairman Vito Artioli.
Artioli said imports of leather shoes from China and Vietnam have grown cheaper and more plentiful over the past two years.
"We have calculated the price of raw materials, and the finished product is cheaper," he said.
However, ANCI's position is not shared by other shoe manufacturing associations.
"The EU limited the duties to two-years for a reason: they hurt both Europe's consumers and its modern footwear industry," said European Sporting Goods Industry president Horst Widmann.
"A minority of protectionist elements... shouldn't abuse the EU's antidumping regime," said Widmann. The ANCI, which has 850 member companies, wants five more years of tariffs.
Shoe manufacturers have until July 7 to ask the EU to extend the tariffs.
The EU has 12 to 15 months from the October 7 expiry date to conduct an antidumping investigation to determine if the tariff should be renewed.
The 27-member European Union is Vietnam's biggest shoe export market, which last year contributed US$2.1 billion to the country's total shoe export turnover of $4.5 billion.
VNS
|
