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China assails EU shoe duties as unfair
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-03-24 20:52
China on Friday harshly criticised an EU decision to place anti-dumping
duties on some Chinese-made shoes, calling the action groundless and
discriminatory as manufacturers also prepared to fight.
A worker makes shoes at a factory in Xiangfan,
central China's Hubei province March 24, 2006. China's state media
denounced an EU decision to place anti-dumping duties on some Chinese-made
shoes on Friday as manufacturers prepared to contest the move.
[Reuters] |
China's Ministry of Commerce,
which handles international trade, said China was "unhappy" about the EU
decision to impose duties of up to 19.4 percent on leather shoes.
Spokesman Chong Quan said Chinese shoemakers were not dumping and "have not
caused substantial damage" to European shoemakers, according to a statement
issued on the ministry Web site.
"This approach lacks any basis in fact and law, and violates the principles
of fair trade," said Chong.
The European Commission on Thursday formally approved the anti-dumping
duties, which include duties of 16.8 percent on leather shoes from Vietnam. It
said the decision affected about nine of every 100 pairs of shoes bought in the
EU.
Brussels says it has evidence of serious state intervention for Chinese and
Vietnamese shoe exporters, including non-commercial government loans and bargain
deals on land. It will phase in the duties over six months from April 7,
starting at about 4 percent.
Chong said Brussels was "clearly discriminatory" in refusing to accept that
Chinese shoemakers operated in a "market" setting.
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