Since the European Commission (EC) announced the possible anti-dumping duties on leather shoes imported from China and Vietnam, the Vietnam Leather & Footwear Association (Lefaso) has released documents to analyse the negative impacts and propose solutions for minimising losses and ensuring the interests of footwear businesses and concerned parties. However, the association’s proposals have not yet been considered properly by the EC.

The comment was made by Lafaso chairman Nguyen Gia Thao at a press briefing held in Hanoi on March 27.

The EC’s imposition of initial anti-dumping duties from April 7 on Vietnamese and Chinese shoes will cause negative impacts on the development of the national economy, as well as the leather and footwear industry, which is considered Vietnam’s key export sector.

The industry currently attracts more than 500,000 workers, 85 percent of which are women. Therefore, women and their children involved in the industry will be victims of the lawsuit.

The EC decision to impose anti-dumping tariffs on Vietnamese leather footwear will send Vietnam’s leather and footwear sector into a tailspin and cause unemployment among labourers working in the leather and footwear sector and its relevant industries. This will create a heavy burden for the whole society and increase the poverty rate in Vietnam.

Mr Thao said the anti-dumping duties will affect people who directly take part in distribution channels and the product value-added chain, as well as consumers in 25 European Union (EU) nations.

With the possible high anti-dumping duties announced by the EC, the price of Vietnamese shoes will increase by 1.5-2 euro/pair. Such a high price rise will cause difficulties not only for importers and producers, but also for consumers.

According to the Lefaso, the EC’s move to impose temporary anti-dumping duties on leather shoe imports from Vietnam is a very regrettable decision that may have negative impacts on both the EU and Vietnam.