China to protest against European shoe duty extension

BEIJING, Oct 14 - Beijing is displeased with a European Commission proposal to extend anti-dumping duties on Chinese and Vietnamese shoes, a senior Chinese trade official said on Wednesday, although European diplomats had said the proposal was designed in part to appease China.

The Commission proposed extending anti-dumping duties, originally due to expire at the end of this year, by 15 months as a compromise between member states that want the duties scrapped, and shoe producers Italy, Spain, France and Poland, which wish to extend them for five years.

"We oppose this 15-month extension, and plan to protest it. We hope the duties can be removed as soon as possible," said the official, from the Ministry of Commerce.

"They contribute to an unstable trade environment."

Export-dependant China has become increasingly active in defending its markets in the past year, bringing several cases to the World Trade Organisation and protesting with a calibrated retaliation the U.S. imposition of safeguard duties on tyres.

Data released on Wednesday showed that the total value of China's exports fell 15 percent on year in September, but rose compared with August in a stronger than expected showing.

China's trade surplus over the past 12 months narrowed to $250.7 billion.