From New Economist:
I warned of this back in February (see From ‘bra wars’ to ‘shoe wars’) and now it seems increasingly likely: a ‘shoe war’ with China and Vietnam. Clearly, the European Commisison has learned nothing from last year’s bra wars debacle. Helena Spongenberg of the EU Observer website reports Brussels pushes ahead on China shoe tariffs:
The European Commission has pushed for new measures against leather shoes from China and Vietnam despite member states’ representatives having rejected two previous proposals this summer.
A proposal by trade commissioner Peter Mandelson to levy a 16.5 percent duty on ‘leather upper’ shoes entering the EU market from China and 10 percent duty on those from Vietnam was adopted by the commission on Wednesday. [Full Text]
