The European Footwear Alliance (EFA) takes note of the Chinese government's decision to request WTO consultations on EU anti-dumping measures imposed on Chinese and Vietnamese footwear. This is only the second time that China has decided to take the EU through WTO trade dispute settlement procedures.
EFA shares China's view that the EU's decision to extend the duties for a further 15 months in December 2009 was based on a very questionable investigation and a flawed analysis of the economic facts. Ironically the measure hurts European business and consumers the most.
China's announcement serves to underline the extent to which the decision has damaged the EU's standing with one of its major trading partners. The extension of the footwear duties opens the door to retaliatory measures on EU exports to China and puts paid to European leaders' repeated pledges to defend free trade. The retaliatory duties recently applied on EU exports of carbon-steel fasteners to China highlights the dangers of the game that the EU is playing.
The EFA calls on the European Commission to take immediate action to prevent relations between the EU and China from degenerating further. The European Union's reputation as a sponsor of free trade as well as the credibility of its use of trade defence instruments are at stake.
The Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry