FESI says Japan-EU trade agreement will be “a breath of fresh air”
07/07/2017
Since 1998, FESI has actively supported the campaign for the European Union and Japan to establish an FTA, saying it will foster sustainable economic growth, boost trade and generate jobs both in the EU and Japan.
“This agreement is a beacon of light in foggy times in which many countries and regions are tempted to tackle economic difficulties through protectionist measures,” FESI said in a statement. “Once in place, the FTA will bring substantial benefits for both trading partners and ensure lower costs of imported as well as exported goods for producers and consumers, increasing consumers’ purchasing power.”
Currently, the ski boots industry faces a 27% import duty in Japan and 17% in Europe. A substantial amount of high-skilled jobs in the ski boots production sector are located in Europe which is one of the largest exporters of this type of footwear. The ski boots cluster in the Montebelluna area in Italy produces 60% of the world’s ski boots.
FESI’s ski committee chairman, Rene Harrer from Head, commented: “European ski boot companies are paying almost €20 million in import duty every year. In times when the sector is struggling with many problems such as lack of snow, decreased winter sport participation rates, decreasing demand and shrinking public investment in ski school holidays, this FTA is a breath of fresh air.”
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