The EU’s provisional anti-dumping duties on Chinese and Vietnamese footwear came into effect on Friday, April 7 and Chinese exporters claim that they are already being affected.

According to local Chinese media reports, Chinese exporters are not only facing a drop in orders, they are struggling to remain profitable as distributors are unwilling to pay higher prices for Chinese products.

Newspapers quote manufacturers who claim that the duties will lead to smaller companies being forced to close as they will be unable to compete.