EU Commission wants extended China shoe tax-document

BRUSSELS, Oct 12 - The European Commission has proposed extending anti-dumping duties on EU imports of Chinese and Vietnamese shoes for at least 15 months in a compromise to appease Beijing and global shoemakers, a document showed.

"... the duties should be extended by at least 15 months," the document obtained by Reuters on Monday said.

If approved, the new duties would take effect from Jan. 3, 2010, much to the annoyance of large global footwear producers, major European retailers and consumers across the 27-nation bloc struggling to deal with the worst economic downturn in decades.

In a bid to avert another so-called "shoe war" with member states and further damaging already tense economic relations with China, the Commission -- which oversees EU trade policy -- has proposed a 15-month extension instead of the normal five-year term for what are known as "definitive duties".