China’s Ministry of Commerce has said that the decision by the European Union (EU) to impose duties as high as 19.4% on Chinese shoe imports was discriminatory.

The EU, which imported shoes worth $5.9 billion from China and Vietnam in the last year, will impose tariffs starting at 4% on some imports from China and Vietnam on April 7. The duties will rise to a maximum 19.4% on Chinese shoes after five months and 16.8% on Vietnamese imports. The phase-in is designed to ensure that European retailers with goods in transit are not faced with sudden changes in tariffs. The duties will cover 9% of the shoes sold in the EU market, but will exclude children’s shoes and some sports footwear.