HANOI — The European Commission has a "very solid case" in its imposition of antidumping measures against shoes from China and Vietnam, European Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said Tuesday.

Beijing has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization accusing the European Union of imposing illegal duties on Chinese shoes.

"We think we have a very solid case with respect to the antidumping rights that we have imposed on China and Vietnam," De Gucht said after meeting in Hanoi with Vietnamese Trade Minister Vu Huy Hoang.

"China is going to contest it before the WTO, they are entitled to do so," he said.

"Up to now, we have no indication that Vietnam would also be doing this but that's upon the discretion of Vietnam. But we are pretty sure we have a very solid case."

At the end of 2009, the EU extended for 15 months antidumping duties imposed in October 2006 on shoes with leather uppers coming from Vietnam and China.

In response, Beijing at the start of February announced it was filing a complaint with the WTO. If the two sides do not reach an agreement in 60 days, the WTO complaints body will rule on the case.

The antidumping duties were "imposed as a result of an inquiry", De Gucht said, adding that Brussels also hoped they would be able to move on.

The commissioner said a free trade agreement with Vietnam, which he was visiting to discuss opening negotiations, would "greatly contribute to resolving once and for ever this pending matter".

Having failed to launch negotiations on a free trade agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as a whole, the European Commission is now seeking bilateral talks with the 10 members of the bloc.

The commission is the executive body that represents the European Union in international trade relations.

De Gucht heads to Singapore Wednesday to launch free trade negotiations with the city-state.

(AFP) – March 02, 2010

Source: www.afp.com