BRUSSELS, May 28 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission said on Friday that European Union (EU) exporters are at risk of facing persistent protectionism from trading partners.

According to a new report published Friday by the commission, almost 280 trade restrictive measures have been put in place by the EU's major trade partners during the economic crisis over the last 18 months.

The EU's executive arm, which is responsible for a common trade policy of the 27-nation bloc, warned that hardly any measures have been removed despite signs of economic recovery in most countries.

"There is a risk that trade restrictive measures introduced by our partners during the crisis will become part of the trade regime even when the economy picks up speed. What we need now is an exit strategy from protectionism," EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said in a statement.

The protectionist measures ranged from classical trade barriers such as import bans or tariff increases to "buy national" and other behind-the-border policies.

The report, which covered the EU's thirty main trading partners over the period from October 2008 to April 2010, found that many of the new barriers are rapidly becoming permanent features of the world trading system.

World leaders have repeatedly pledged to fight against protectionism amid the financial and economic crisis, but there have been accusations of countries doing the contrary.

The EU is also accused by its trading partners of abusing anti- dumping measures to protect its own companies.