China opposes EU proposal extending anti-dumping duties on shoes

BEIJING, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government and business groups are strongly dissatisfied with a European Commission proposal to extend dumping duties on leather shoes from China by another 15 months, a spokesman of China's Ministry of Commerce said Friday.

The EU's executive commission had proposed the extension of duties up to 16.5 percent on leather shoe imports from China on Wednesday, said Yao Jian, the ministry spokesman.

He said the EU had been taking protectionist measures for its shoe manufacturing industry for 14 years, but the sector has seen no harm caused by imports from other markets.

He said the commission's proposal, if approved, would damage the interests of Chinese shoe manufacturers.

Yao said the 5th EU-China Business Summit held this week had reached agreement on fighting trade protectionism. He said cancellation of the extension would be in the mutual interests of China and the EU.

China hoped the EU member nations would vote against the extension, he said.

From 1995 to 2005, the EU had implemented quota limits on some shoe imports from China. In 2005, the EU launched an anti-dumping investigation into China's leather shoes. In 2006, the EU decided to impose a two-year anti-dumping duty of 16.5 percent on Chinese leather shoes.