Outdoor opposition to anti-dumping
The European Outdoor Group (EOG) has expressed its disappointment that anti-dumping measures that impose duties on imported leather footwear from Vietnam and China will continue while a formal review of the situation takes place.
The group is part of the European Footwear Alliance, which lobbied for the duties to be abolished when the initial two-year term for the anti-dumping measures expired on October 6, but in the face of pressure from some member states who said their Asian competitors were continuing to ship shoes to Europe at falsely low prices, the European Commission decided that a review was necessary, which means the tariffs stay for the time being.
Mark Held, secretary general of the EOG, said later that the review was "against the wishes of the majority of the EOG members". He added: "The Alliance aims to represent the wishes of the majority and hopes that any review undertaken is done quickly to allow as little continuing disruption to the sector as possible."
Members of the European Footwear Alliance account for 98% of athletic footwear sales and approximately 80% of outdoor hiking and trekking sales in Europe, although not all of these products are affected by the anti-dumping measures, which focus specifically on footwear with leather uppers.
