European fashion retailers call on the Member States

AEDT urges the EU Member States to terminate the anti-dumping duties on leather footwear from China (16,5%) and Vietnam (10%).

In view of the upcoming decision by the EU Member States, AEDT President Betty van Arenthals warned on the negative consequences that a further extension of these unjustified measures would entail: “Continuing the artificial protection of some less competitive footwear producers would just keep harming EU consumers, businesses and would also be detrimental for Europe’s economic recovery. The G20 as well as the European Commission, agreed that protectionism can not be the answer to the economic and financial crisis. The EU should not only reiterate this message but, above all, translate it into practice”.

Sjang van Hout, Chair of the AEDT Footwear Committee and a footwear retailer himself, has called on the Member States not to yield to any political compromise to prolong the duties: “After the lengthy political bargaining which in 2006 led to the imposition of the duties for two years and their automatic extension for 15 additional months during the expiry review, it would be very unfortunate if once again EU consumers, distributors and competitive suppliers should bare the costs of merely political decisions which have nothing to do with reality. Should this happen, the credibility on the functioning of the EU anti-dumping system would be once again put into question”.

AEDT – European Association of Fashion Retailers – represents more than 400.000 large, medium and small-sized European retail enterprises specialised in fashion and footwear.