A handful of European shoemakers are soon likely to request an extension of EU anti-dumping duties on leather footwear from Vietnam and China. But contrary to what your article may lead people into thinking (‘Shoemakers fight cheap imports', 24-29 April), these producers do not speak in the interest of the majority of the European footwear industry, let alone European consumers.

The reality is that today's footwear industry is a prime example of the flourishing international trade between Europe and Asia . It is also a success story for European consumers who enjoy lower prices and unprecedented choice. Well over half of the total shoe market in Europe is supplied by China and Vietnam. For three decades, Europe's shoe industry and consumers have relied on free trade with Asian supplier countries that offer the required skills and efficiency gains to produce high-quality footwear products at the prices that consumers expect.

It is worrying that a minority of European footwear companies should be pushing for a further extension of anti-dumping duties. Their move indicates that they have not done enough to adjust to today's market realities. Indeed, the shield of anti-dumping duties granted by the EU in 2006 has allowed them to delay the necessary structural changes.

We should not allow misguided protectionist measures to undermine competition and consumer value in Europe. They are hurting many European footwear brands and, more importantly, European consumers.

By Horst Widmann President, Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI) Brussels

08.05.2008 / 00:00 CET

Source: www.europeanvoice.com