An attempt by European footwear makers to launch safeguard measures against China cannot be justified, according to sources from China Leather Association (CLA).
China's footwear exports to the European Union (EU) reached 257 million pairs in the first three months this year, up 2.8 per cent year-on-year, while the total value hit US$726 million in this period, up 30.8 per cent from the previous year, said statistics from China's General Administration of Customs.
"This figures shows that China's exports have not imposed a severe impact, which the European companies claimed, on the market of European countries," said Wei Yafei, a spokeswoman with the association. "Such a slight increase will not do harm to local industries, either."
Footwear manufacturers associations of Italy, Spain and Portugal are reported to have filed applications to the EU to curb footwear imports from China. It is the third time that the Italian association requested to initiate protectionism against Chinese shoes in the past six months.
They claimed that imports from China had flooded their markets and hurt their domestic industries. Companies from France, Greece and Poland support their move.
However, the European Commission is not predicted to take an immediate measure against Chinese footwear.
"As the commission is busy with the textile frictions with China, it might not launch an investigation toward safeguard measures against Chinese shoes in one or two months," Wei said.
-Ltd..jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Thermore (Far East) Ltd.")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TSllC Ltd)")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF)")
