Chinese Shoe Companies Prosecute EU Anti-Dumping

Yesterday, 4 Chinese private shoe enterprises were held in Beijing to "deal with shoemaking enterprises". Anti-dumping Proceedings bulletin. Attorney general Pu Ling Chen informed that the European Court of justice has formally accepted China. Shoemaking Litigation claims of enterprises. Up to now, the largest EU has ever been to China. leather shoes In the case of anti-dumping duties, the joint prosecution is the most intense response of Chinese enterprises, and this briefing is also the most active appearance of Chinese shoe companies.

Unfortunately, the total number of Chinese enterprises affected by anti-dumping has reached more than 1200. In the time limit for litigation, only 9 companies have filed suit. Thousands of Chinese shoe companies have chosen to remain silent and give up the chance to turn over the market.

Helpless:

9 companies formally Sue

In July 2005, the European Commission should

Demand from Italy, France and Spain shoe manufacturers began to initiate anti-dumping investigations on some Chinese and Vietnamese footwear. In October 7, 2006, the European Union officially launched a two-year 16.5% year old leather shoe product originally made in China.

The anti-dumping duty is the largest anti-dumping case against China. In October 23rd, AOKANG group of Chinese enterprises announced that it would prosecute the European Union.

The 4 companies jointly prosecuted are AOKANG group, Tamar shoes, Golden Shoe industry and new Hong Kong dollar footwear industry. Pu Ling, a lawyer from the 4 shoe companies, returned from Belgium just noon yesterday.

Pu Lingchen introduced, in December 29, 2006, sued the EU Council issued the 16.5% anti-dumping duties laws and regulations do not comply with the relevant European Union law related litigation materials, all submitted to the Belgian capital of Brussels, the European Union Court, the European Court formally accepted the lawsuit of Chinese shoe enterprises. Next, the EU Council will write two rounds of written defense with Chinese enterprises. Subsequently, the European Commission may serve as the third party to support the Council of the European Union. The next is oral defense, and the total litigation time is expected to be about 2 years.

The attorney general Pu Ling Chen is the defense lawyer who won the first case of China's lighters to join the WTO. It is also the first successful case of Chinese enterprises in the anti-dumping case, the attorney for Yunnan Malone yellow phosphorus anti-dumping case. The lawyer who had served as a professor in Belgium revealed yesterday that according to foreign media reports and his own understanding, apart from AOKANG's four enterprises, there were 5 Chinese companies that sued the European Union. But specifically, which 5 enterprises are not very clear.

Counterattack:

Seize the problems and destroy them one by one.

According to reports, the four companies that accuse the Council of Europe are not the same. AOKANG and Tamar were previously non respondent enterprises in the European Union, while the Golden Shoe industry and the new Hong Kong dollar footwear industry were the sample respondent enterprises.

"Therefore, enterprises have different demands," Pu Ling said. For the latter two, the demand point is relatively clear, which involves more technical problems of anti-dumping rulings, such as the calculation of damage data and amplitude data. For AOKANG and Tamar, the problems to be solved are more and more complicated.

It is understood that after the EU launched an anti-dumping investigation on my footwear products, more than 160 enterprises in China actively responded and applied for market economy status. "The European Commission did not anticipate that more than 160 enterprises in China should take action." therefore, the European Union launched a sample survey procedure which was recognized by the WTO law and the European Union Law. The top 10 companies in the export volume were surveyed. The other more than 150 enterprises also filled in the questionnaire, but it was not audited. The final ruling was that the more than 150 enterprises got the same ruling result directly because the sample enterprises did not get market economy status.

Pu Ling dust analysis said: "from the point of view of damage identification, the EU is not quite in line with the WTO regulations, nor is it in line with its own anti-dumping law".

The way to join WTO:

Losing a lawsuit is also a victory.

The anti-dumping case involves up to more than 1000 Chinese companies, but so far, most enterprises have chosen to silence and give up. Can only rely on the current number of enterprises to win this battle will be a long drawn out international lawsuit?

"This is also one of the most frequently asked questions by domestic and foreign reporters." Wang Zhentao, chairman of AOKANG group, said: "some people say that the EU has imposed anti-dumping duties for only two years, and you have been lawsuits for at least two years, when the lawsuit has not been completed, but the tax time has ended.

"The person who can say this may not have thought about it. Two years later, if we blindly acquiesce in tolerance and may face higher anti-dumping duties after two years, they will be able to postpone the formulation of the anti-dumping duty for another 5 years. Therefore, we initiate a lawsuit against the European court. First of all, let the EU countries hear the voice of Chinese shoe enterprises' defense, and let other countries in the world also hear the voice of Chinese private enterprises. Wang Zhentao expressed his original intention of prosecution.

So far, the cost of prosecuting enterprises has cost at least 2 million yuan per household. Wang Zhentao said: "many enterprises are worried that if we lose, we will lose more. But I do not think so. We have two minds in the matter of winning and losing the lawsuit. We are not fighting for a lawsuit for any enterprise. We are fighting the lawsuit for the whole Chinese shoe industry. We are fighting for the lawsuit of millions of Chinese shoemaking workers. We are fighting this lawsuit for the Chinese shoe industry tomorrow. Of course we all want to win, but even if we lose, we also send our dissatisfaction to the world, and we can also accumulate experience for other domestic enterprises and other industries.

Su Chaoying, Secretary General of the China Leather Industry Association, said: "one thing is for sure. For China's footwear industry, even if the lawsuit is lost, it is also a victory. We can learn a lot from it. We believe that this anti-dumping pressure will come from other countries if the EU does not come. After all, our entry into WTO is relatively short, and we do not understand the rules of the international game very much. If we lose this time, we will at least know how to deal with the next other countries. "

Voice of enterprise:

We must break the barriers together.

"Our shoemaking enterprises must realize that in the face of trade barriers, we only have a way to get together. Only by cooperation can we develop. In the face of more and more anti-dumping pressures, our shoemaking enterprises should set up organizations that should work together to deal with international trade barriers, share information, share funds, and jointly express their legitimate demands." At the meeting yesterday, the representative of Wang Zhentao issued an appeal: I hope more shoemaking enterprises can participate in the integration of resources and build a better platform to promote the Chinese footwear industry to move towards the international market in a more positive manner.

Four enterprises yesterday released the "Beijing Joint Declaration on trade barriers of Chinese footwear enterprises" on the spot. The declaration said: strongly advocate the use of legal means to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of China's footwear industry in the international market; actively seek and strive for the market position and interests of the Chinese footwear industry under the WTO rules; and believe that the solution to international trade disputes by legal means is the only way for us to strive for equal rights and interests; we hope that various trade frictions will eventually be resolved on the basis of equal dialogue, mutual understanding and mutual benefit.

In fact, the positive response of Chinese enterprises has already played a role. Pu Ling said: "the latest news confirms that the EU will re examine the anti-dumping case this year, and have new moves."

Worries of the industry:

Brand building is in urgent need of action.

Su Chaoying, Secretary General of the China Leather Industry Association, spoke highly of the positive performance of Chinese shoe enterprises. He said: "in the face of international trade barriers, several shoe-making enterprises have not complained all the time, nor have we waited passively for our industry to make a voice in the international market. This is great." Su Chaoying said that anti-dumping is inevitable. It is useless to discontent. We need to take the initiative to deal with it positively. The law is just. This is a question that must be known to China's footwear industry in the international market after China's entry into WTO.

On the other hand, the prosecution of others does not mean that they do not reflect on themselves. "To soberly observe the problems that exist and face," Su Chaoying pointed out, such as large capacity, low value-added products and frequent international trade friction have seriously affected the further development of Chinese shoe enterprises. We lack the well-known brands in the world, and if we do not change the way of growth, we may encounter more trade frictions. "Therefore, for Chinese shoemaking enterprises, strengthening brand building and promoting industrial upgrading is the key." Su Chaoying stressed that this must not be put in an oral word, it must be time for real action.