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Shoe firm boss damns EU's anti-dumping tariff decision

(China Daily)
Updated: 2006-10-13 08:45

One of China's top footwear manufacturers has condemned the European Union for imposing a one-size-fits-all anti-dumping tariff on leather shoes made in the country.

Wu Shouzhong, vice-president of Aokang, one of China's leading footwear makers, warned at the World Shoes Forum in Beijing that the EU measure did not take into account the vast differences existing between the nation's shoemakers.

"There are over 20,000 footwear manufacturing firms in China, and 200 of them are of very good quality," said Wu.

The European Union should not treat all Chinese shoe manufacturers in a uniform manner, it should appreciate the differences when introducing tariffs, he said.

"Even the top 200 manufacturers are at different levels, but the European Union imposed a tariff on all firms at one stroke," complained Wu.

Although some firms make cheap and poor quality shoes, a pair of Aokang shoes is priced at 2,000 yuan (US$253), and that is not low even when compared with some European-made shoes, he pointed out.

Wu accused the European Union of imposing its 16.5 per cent anti-dumping tariff after conducting a very selective and incomplete investigation.

"The European Union should classify Chinese shoes manufacturers and treat them separately based upon the actual situation," he suggested.

Chinese shoemakers are likely to appeal against the tariff, said Wu. "We have hired lawyers in Europe and have already spent several millions of yuan on the case," he said.

The leather industry associations in Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Fujian provinces also recently issued a joint statement expressing their "fierce dissatisfaction and protest" at the tariff decision.

The statement pointed out that the tariff had already resulted in Chinese footwear manufacturers suffering a huge loss in exports, adding that the associations "reserve the right" to take legal action against the European Union at the World Trade Organization.

Xie Rongfang, a spokeswoman for the Wenzhou Leather Industry Association, said that the associations are discussing whether to use EU courts, though they have yet to agree on when the legal action will take place or what form it will take.