EU Decided To Take Anti Circumvention Measures For Chinese Leather Shoes

On the 29 day of EU Member States, the anti-dumping measures taken on Chinese leather shoes will be extended to Macao to punish Chinese footwear enterprises to borrow Macao from the EU to avoid anti-dumping duties.

The European Commission launched an anti circumvention investigation on China's leather shoes through the EU in Macao in early September last year.

According to the findings of the European Commission, the EU Member States made the decision at the EU Council meeting held at Luxemburg 29, and decided to formally enter into force after the European Union issued relevant official communiques recently.

To protect the interests of some southern European footwear enterprises, the EU has imposed a 16.5% anti-dumping duty on Chinese leather shoes and children's shoes for a two-year period since October 7, 2006, but this measure was originally not applicable to the Macao Special Administrative Region.

The EU claims that Chinese shoe companies have made obvious evasive actions to avoid anti-dumping duties and to export to Macao after completing their post processing operations in Macao or in the EU.

But this accusation was strongly opposed by AOKANG and other Chinese shoe companies and European retailers.

In March this year, the European Commission reminded EU footwear companies to apply for an extension of anti-dumping measures on Chinese leather shoes as early as possible in the official communique, because the current measures will expire in October this year.

European Commission 29 said, according to the regulations, the EU shoe enterprises must submit applications before July 7th.

But it is unclear whether the EU shoe industry has submitted applications.

Two years ago, when the European Commission formally approved the initial tax collection plan for leather shoes anti-dumping cases, a spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce said that Chinese footwear exports did not cause substantial damage to European industries. The European Union's ruling imposed a uniform tax rate on all involved enterprises. This practice lacks the facts and legal basis and violates the principle of fair trade.