European business and consumer groups on Wednesday criticized
the European Union (EU) for its decision to impose anti-dumping
duties on Chinese and Vietnamese shoes, saying it will harm both
consumers and business.
"This is a sad day for Europe. The decision to impose anti-
dumping duties on Chinese and Vietnamese shoes is anti-consumers,
anti-trade and anti-competitiveness," said EuroCommerce and the
European Consumers' Organization in a joint statement.
The two organizations represent European retail, wholesale and
international trade sectors and consumers.
EU member states on Wednesday struck a compromise deal to
introduce permanent anti-dumping duties on Chinese and Vietnamese
leather shoes as from Saturday.
Under the deal, Chinese and Vietnamese shoes will face tariffs
of 16.5 percent and 10 percent respectively for two years.
In the joint statement, the two organizations said consumers
will have to pay higher prices as a result of this anti-dumping
measure.
"Despite best efforts and an extremely competitive retail market
in the EU, no company can digest the new duties without increasing
prices in the shops," said the statement.
The immediate effect of the measure also makes long-term
planning impossible as importers and retailers need one-year
predictability to plan their sourcing, it said.
In addition, the new anti-dumping duties shelter uncompetitive
producers, do not create one single job, make consumers poorer and
hurt companies. They also worsen the EU-China trade relationship,
it said.
"Europe's future is in innovative value-added products, not in
old-fashioned protectionism."
The footwear case has clearly proved the need for a radical
overhaul of the old-fashioned EU anti-dumping law, to make the
system more transparent, predictable and balanced, said the
statement.
The Foreign Trade Association (FTA), which has trading companies
as members in nearly all European countries, also attacked
Wednesday's decision of the EU member states.
"This is a major disappointment for European retailers and a
serious blow to European consumers," said FTA Secretary General Jan
Eggert on Wednesday in a press release.
"The measures that will now be imposed will not benefit the
European manufacturing industry but could very likely lead to job
losses to retailers and importers and an increase in consumer
prices."
The deal were approved by the slightest margin at a meeting of
permanent representatives of the 25 EU nations in Brussels. Nine
countries voted in favor and 12 were against, with four countries
abstaining. Under EU law, abstentions in such cases count as in
favor of the proposal as they do not oppose it.
The FTA expressed reservations over the way the decision was
made, calling the voting system "a peculiarity."
"This type of wheeling and dealing involved in implementing
European Commission legislation such as anti-dumping duties must
stop," commented Eggert.
"This decision will affect millions of ordinary consumers across
the European Union. The way in which it has been taken is an
illustration of just how necessary the current review of the
Anti-Dumping Regulation is and I hope, for the benefit of those
consumers, that the Commission considers our views seriously," said
Eggert.
The anti-dumping measures will become official after adoption by
EU interior and justice ministers on Thursday in Luxembourg and
will replace the six-month temporary tariffs put in place in April
2006. The voting in Luxembourg is mere formality.
The deal was able to be approved after France revised a European
Commission proposal, under which the same tariff rates would be in
place for five years.
(Xinhua News Agency October 5, 2006)