The 10 percent anti-dumping tariff, due to expire on October 7, has been in effect since 2006 after the EC ruled leather shoes from Vietnam and China were being sold at “unfair prices” in the European market.

The Italian Shoe Manufacturer's Association (ANCI) said imports from Vietnam and China were still hurting its 850 member companies.

The ANCI said it would ask for the tariffs to be extended for five more years, the official of the Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade said.

However, he said other groups of shoe producers in Italy disagreed with ANCI’s proposal.

The EC will conduct an anti-dumping investigation on leather shoes imported from Vietnam and China to determine if the tariff will be renewed.

The anti-dumping tariff is imposed on top of the EC’s import tariffs.

Vietnamese leather shoes sold to the 27-member trade bloc have been limited to import tariffs of 3 to 5 percent under a preferential tariff program for poor countries.

However, the commission is removing Vietnam’s footwear industry from this program next year, and Vietnamese footwear will attract tariffs of up to 10 percent.

The 27-member European Union is Vietnam’s biggest shoe export market which last year contributed US$2.1 billion to the country’s total shoe export turnover of $4.5 billion.

Reported by Minh Quang

Last Updated: Sunday, June 22, 2008 11:08:57 Vietnam (GMT+07)

Source: www.thanhniennews.com