EU ambassadors toil over trade tariffs

EU ambassadors will provide a written statement outlining their position on imposing trade duties on China.

At a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday ambassadors will attempt to find consensus in a notoriously fractious debate.

In August the European commission proposed an import duty of 16.5 per cent on shoes from China and Vietnam to counteract “compelling evidence” of dumping.

But the controversial move split north and south as Mediterranean shoe producers pushed for protection while northern liberals argued the case for free trade.

Sweden, Germany, Britain and Denmark have led the opposition to the tariffs while countries such as Portugal, Italy and Spain have backed the commission’s plans.

The temporary export duties expire on October 6 and there is little time to find an agreement on extending the tariffs – albeit at reduced rates – for a further five years.

And amid frenzied lobbying from both sides, the European commission has washed its hands of the whole affair.

EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson says it is now up to governments who want the measures to come up with a solution.

But it is unlikely to be resolved by ambassadors on Wednesday - and a solution may only be found at the last minute.

This means it could fall to justice ministers meeting on October 5 to take the final decision.

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