EU: Court backs EU anti-dumping duties on Chinese and Vietnam shoes

The EU's decision to extend anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese and Vietnam footwear imports has been supported by a court decision in Brussels.

Despite that Beijing's recent filed complaint with the WTO, the General Court, a branch of the European Court of Justice, ruled against Chinese footwear producers in a series of six cases where "applicants requested annulment of the 2006 regulation," according to the statement, adding that "The anti-dumping measure ... thus remains in force."

The court "rejected all of the applicants' claims and dismissed the actions for annulment," ordering them "to pay their own costs and the costs incurred by" the EU in defending the cases.

Beijing announced at the start of February that it was filing a complaint with the WTO. If the two sides do not reach an agreement within 60 days, the WTO complaints body will rule on the case.

In the meantime, European Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht was in Hanoi last week to open negotiations with Vietnam on a free-trade agreement with the EU. He said there that the European Commission had a "very solid case" in its imposition of anti-dumping measures against shoes from China and Vietnam.