The Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI) met with European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson this week to discuss the European Commission’s investigation into allegations of China and Vietnam dumping footwear with leather uppers. FESI representatives put forward their case stating that protectionist measures would cause ‘massive damage’ to sporting goods companies and retailers. They also added that they have received a great amount of support during meetings held in recent weeks with officials from EU member states.

This investigation has been instigated by an overly wide-ranging complaint backed by a few countries that are seeking to distort trade in their favour," said FESI trade committee chairman, Karl Sedlmeyer. Footwear production in Asia has been a reality of the sporting shoes market for over a decade and protecting non-existent industries will not change that.” He added, China and Vietnam are world leaders in the manufacture of high technology sporting footwear and cutting off these sources of supply would put a whole European industry at risk.”

FESI asked Mr Mandelson to consult as widely as possible and take into account the more than 640,000 high-value jobs in the EU in design, marketing, sales and logistics in the sporting goods market that are under threat as a result of this investigation.