EU adopts anti-dumping measures against China

时间：2006-10-05 05:59:03

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Protectionist forces, which "only represent a minority among Europe's footwear industry and governments" succeeded in pushing through the measures "at the expense of European competitiveness and consumers." (File Photo)
 
Oct. 5 - The European Union adopted, by the narrowest of majorities, new anti-dumping measures to tackle imports of leather shoes from China and Vietnam, a diplomatic source said.

 

The vote to adopt the measures for two years resulted in a 13 to 12 majority in the 25-nation EU, the source said.

 

The vote will allow the new anti-dumping measures to come into force on October 7, with import duties of 16.5 percent on Chinese shoes with leather uppers, in place of the current temporary duty of 19.4 percent.

 

The tariff1 on the same kind of shoes from Vietnam will be 10 percent in place of the current temporary duty of 16.8 percent.

 

EU Trade Commissioner2 Peter Mandelson described the measures as "appropriate and proportional."

 

"Today's decision was necessary," Mandelson told a press conference, adding that the Commission had an obligation to put proposals to member states when an enquiry showed up "bad trade practices".

 

The move has become urgent as the temporary tariffs3, applied4 in April as an anti-dumping measure, run out at midnight on Thursday.

 

The main vote faultline runs between Europe's economically liberal north, hostile in principle to anti-dumping measures, and the more protectionist south, sympathetic to the views of EU producers.

 

The Commission had proposed a five-year penalty, but the compromise on the measure's duration, proposed by France, allowed the vote to go through.

 

In the vote, taken during a meeting in Brussels of the Committee of the Permanent Representatives of the 25 EU nations, nine countries voted in favour of the two-year measures and 12 maintained their opposition5.

 

The remaining four countries abstained6 on Wednesday but their votes counted for the proposal as they did not oppose it.

 

"If the EU's Finnish presidency7, which was has been hostile to anti-dumping measures, had played its role better, the compromise could have been reached much earlier," said an EU source.

 

The decision was bound to raise the hackles of EU distributors who have denounced the sort of protectionism displayed by Italy, whose shoe industry has not well adapted to the new world market.

 

The Federation8 of the European Sports Goods Industry (FESI) slammed the "protectionist shoe duties."

 

Protectionist forces, which "only represent a minority among Europe's footwear industry and governments" succeeded in pushing through the measures "at the expense of European competitiveness and consumers," the group said.

 

Vietnam's Leather and Footwear Association, LEFASO, said it had not been informed of the move.

 

However last month Hanoi vigorously protested against the European Commission's stance on the issue.

 

The measures are now set to become official by being adopted at a meeting of EU justice and interior ministers in Luxembourg on Thursday.

 

Brussels stressed that the tariffs will only apply to shoes with leather uppers which account for around one in ten pairs sold in the European Union.

 

Last year China exported 1.2 billion pairs of shoes to EU countries, 145 million of which were hit by the provisional anti-dumping measures.

 

For Vietnam the total EU import figure was 265 million pairs, 80 million of which were affected9.

 

After a 15-month investigation10, the commission found that shoemakers in China and Vietnam unfairly benefited from state aid in the form of soft loans, tax breaks and cheap rents.

 

China's footwear manufacturers reject the EU's claims.

 

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1 tariff mqwwG     
n.关税，税率；(旅馆、饭店等)价目表，收费表
参考例句：
  • There is a very high tariff on jewelry.宝石类的关税率很高。
  • The government is going to lower the tariff on importing cars.政府打算降低进口汽车的关税。
2 commissioner gq3zX     
n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员
参考例句：
  • The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
  • He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。
3 tariffs a7eb9a3f31e3d6290c240675a80156ec     
关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准
参考例句：
  • British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
  • The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。
4 applied Tz2zXA     
adj.应用的；v.应用，适用
参考例句：
  • She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
  • This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。
5 opposition eIUxU     
n.反对，敌对
参考例句：
  • The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
  • The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。
6 abstained d7e1885f31dd3d021db4219aad4071f1     
v.戒（尤指酒），戒除( abstain的过去式和过去分词 )；弃权（不投票）
参考例句：
  • Ten people voted in favour, five against and two abstained. 十人投票赞成，五人反对，两人弃权。
  • They collectively abstained (from voting) in the elections for local councilors. 他们在地方议会议员选举中集体弃权。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 presidency J1HzD     
n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)
参考例句：
  • Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
  • Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。
8 federation htCzMS     
n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会
参考例句：
  • It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
  • Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。
9 affected TzUzg0     
adj.不自然的，假装的
参考例句：
  • She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
  • His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。
10 investigation MRKzq     
n.调查，调查研究
参考例句：
  • In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
  • He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

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