According to ambassador and head of the European Commission in Vietnam, Markus Cornaro, the EU’s recent decision to impose anti-dumping tariffs on Vietnamese leather shoes at a rate of 16.8% is a temporary solution and the Commission is considering a final decision based on the interests of the relevant parties.

The statement came in response to petitions from representatives of Vietnamese footwear makers at the inauguration of the Vietnam-EU Business Forum in Hanoi on May 22, when footwear manufacturers claimed that the tariffs are unfair.

Mr Cornaro said that the European Parliament has neither discussed nor made any final decision on the issue and there is no official conclusion as yet.

He added that the tariffs are not designed to limit businesses’ export capacity, but only create equal opportunities in business.