UPDATE:EU Trade Experts To Vote On Shoe Anti-Dumping Nov. 19
BRUSSELS -(Dow Jones)- Trade experts from the 27 E.U. governments will vote on a controversial proposal to extend anti-dumping duties on shoes from China and Vietnam at a meeting Nov. 19, E.U. diplomats said Thursday.
A group of countries opposed to the duties - including the Scandinavian nations, the U.K., the Netherlands and a few others - are trying to muster support from a majority of countries against the proposal from the European Commission, the E.U.'s executive arm. Germany has been opposed to extending the duties, but its position may be wavering, diplomats said.
Germany chemical makers such as BASF (BAS.XE) and Sasol Germany GmbH, a unit of Sasol (SOL.JO) are awaiting a decision from the commission on whether to extend duties on ethanolamines, a group of common industrial chemicals, shipped from the U.S. A decision was expected in September, but the commission has delayed its proposal.
"The commission is trying to put pressure on Germany to gain concessions on shoes," said one E.U. diplomat.
The commission does not bargain with E.U. national governments over anti-dumping cases, said commission trade-policy spokesman Lutz Guellner.
"Each and every case is judged independently on its own merits and based on fact, in strict compliance with E.U. law," Guellner said.
The experts' committee is scheduled to meet again in November before the actual vote on the 19th to discuss the shoe case.
The commission's proposal would continue duties of 16.5% on shoes from China and 10% on Vietnamese shoes for another 15 months.
The duties have been in place since October 2006 and have been bitterly opposed by global shoe corporations such as Adidas AG (ADS.XE), Chinese shoemakers, and the Chinese government.
Millions of people in China work in the shoemaking industry.
-By Matthew Dalton, Dow Jones Newswires; +32 2 741 1487; matthew.dalton@dowjones.com
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Publié le 22 octobre 2009 Copyright © 2009 Dowjones
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