Skip to content. | Skip to navigation

Personal tools
Sections
You are here: Home Breaking news EU to end preferential tariffs for Vietnamese-made footwear: official

EU to end preferential tariffs for Vietnamese-made footwear: official

13 June 2008, 17:17 CET
— filed under: , ,

(BRUSSELS) - The European Union will soon end preferential customs tariffs for imports of footwear from Vietnam, an EU official said Friday.

EU ambassadors have struck an agreement that would do away with the tariffs but the decision still has to be endorsed by ministers, the official said on condition of anonymity.

Vietnam benefits from a so-called general system of preferences (GSP) with the EU, under which lower than usual tariffs are applied to imports from developing countries.

While Vietnam's footwear exports have in particular benefitted from the arrangement, they no longer meet the necessary conditions and the EU intends to lift the sector's preferential access to the European market.

"What this will mean in practice is that a somewhat higher tariff will apply to footwear from Vietnam, whereas under GSP the tariff was reduced," the official said.

The European sportswear importers slammed the decision and urged ministers not to approve it.

"This decision is indefensible. It represents a kick in the teeth for both the Vietnamese footwear industry and the modern European footwear industry, which relies on Vietnam as a competitive source of supply," said Horst Widmann, president of the Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry.

"We strongly urge EU Ministers to reconsider this move," he added.

Text and Picture Copyright 2008 AFP. All other Copyright 2008 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable.




Document Actions
Newsletters
EUbusiness Week Issue no 452 The new Swedish EU presidency's aims of tackling climate change and combatting unemployment in Europe are likely to be overshadowed by institutional difficulties.
The week's EU diary
This week the Budget Council is expected to reach agreement on the draft EU budget for 2010; and the Commission will present its annual report on customs seizures of counterfeit goods made at the EU's external border.
Week Ahead
Past newsletters
PARTNERS
Partnership
Publish your organisation's press releases, events, job vacancies, product information etc to EUbusiness.com's worldwide audience.
Membership
Partners
EU Gateway Programme logo International Finance Corporation logo IIR Events logo Intrum Justitia logo Jacob Fleming logo UKROM Link Anglospanish Solutions logo FTPB logo