Question : EC will vote on imposing anti-dumping duty against leather-capped footwear of Vietnam in the coming time. What does Vietnam expect from the vote?

As we have stated many times, leather footwear production and export are of significance to Vietnam economically and socially, and Vietnam-based producers do not sell their products at dumping prices in EU market. Temporary anti-dumping duty imposed by EC since April 2006 has caused adverse impact on Vietnam's economic development and poverty reduction.

EC's proposal of imposing anti-dumping duty is against trade liberalization, which is also initiated and strongly supported by EC. This proposal only serves the interest of some uncompetitive producers in Europe but causes damage to the majority of consumers and retailers. As far as we know, this proposal was rejected by most of EU members when it was put to the Anti-dumping Committee for consultation in late July.

Given the current sound multi-faceted cooperation between Vietnam and EU, Vietnam's socio-economic development level, adverse impacts on Vietnam’s workers and interests of EU investors and businesses in leather footwear industry in Vietnam, we hope that EC will come to a final decision of not to impose anti-dumping duty or any anti-dumping measure against Vietnam./.