The statement was made by Markus Cornaro, Ambassador and Head of the European Commission in Vietnam, in response to petitions from representatives of Vietnamese footwear makers at the inauguration of the Vietnam-EU Business Forum in Hanoi on May 22. Vietnamese footwear makers insisted that the current tariffs imposed by the EC are unfair.

Mr Cornaro said the European Parliament has neither discussed nor made any decision on the issue and there is no official conclusion on the issue from the EU.
However, he said anti-dumping tariffs do not aim to limit businesses’ export capacity, but they also help to create equal opportunities in business.

The EU lodged an anti-dumping lawsuit against Vietnamese leather shoes in July 2005. Although the EU did not make any official conclusion on tariffs to be levied on Vietnamese products, the lawsuit has caused numerous difficulties for Vietnamese shoemakers and employees.