CEC still monitoring leather shoe imports
22/09/2011
Until the end of March 2011, imports of these shoes were subject to anti-dumping duties of 16.5% for China and 10% for Vietnam.
Speaking at a press conference at the Micam footwear exhibition in Milan on September 20, Mr Artioli said: “As soon as the anti-dumping measures were lifted we noticed an increase in the number of pairs coming into Europe from these two countries, but it’s only a short time since the change took place and all we can do at the moment is continue to monitor the situation closely. At the end of 2011 we’ll take stock of the consequences that the lifting of the duties has had. If necessary, we’ll take action at that time.”
Possible actions include asking the European Commission to re-introduce anti-dumping measures if CEC can prove that manufacturers in Asia are still selling their leather shoes for cheaper prices in the European Union than in their domestic markets. Footwear firms can do this if they are receiving incentives, funding and support separately from their commercial operations, but such support is deemed anti-competitive by the World Trade Organisation and can lead to sanctions.
The director general of the Italian Footwear Manufacturers’ Association (ANCI), Fabio Aromatici, commented that his organisation had collected data that showed Chinese and Vietnamese manufacturers had taken advantage of the lifting of the anti-dumping duties to put their prices up.
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