Mandelson, who has been swinging in the gap between free trade and trade protection, seems to have more smiles on China.
On September 3, Mandelson, the EU trade commissioner, said that even a reasonable levy on cheap "dumping" imports would be counterproductive. Earlier, the European Commission decided to gradually phase out anti-dumping duties on energy-saving light bulbs produced by European companies in China within one year.
Not only the light bulb, Mandelson thought about shoes. According to a report, the EU began to impose 16% and 10% anti-dumping duties on Chinese and Vietnamese leather shoes in October last year, causing heavy losses to footwear importers.
Mandelson said anti-dumping duties and quotas would hurt local European manufacturers, who are increasingly outsourcing the production of footwear, textiles, light bulbs and other goods to maintain a competitive advantage for low-priced Asian rivals. He will propose reform of the EU's trade protection system.
However, these trends are the transformation of the EU's anti-dumping attitude toward China, or is Mandelson's wishful thinking?
Energy-saving lamps ushered in spring
The European Commission decided to phase out anti-dumping duties on energy-saving bulbs within a year, and Mandelson said he had hoped to abolish it immediately.
Xiamen Donglin Electronics and Zhejiang Sunshine Co., Ltd., which have exported to Europe, have recently received cancellation notices from the European Union. However, the notice does not specify the specific time. The relevant personage of the Ministry of Commerce revealed that there is no official announcement at present, "cancellation may have to wait until October this year."
According to Chen Yansheng, chairman of the China Lighting Association, told the reporter on the 5th that the EU anti-dumping committee will discuss it again this month, and the final decision will be made by the EU member states. The result is still uncertain. "From the beginning of the year, the EU's internal and counter-forces are evenly matched. The recent call for cancellation is higher, but the attitude of opposition is still tough."
China has always been a major exporter of lighting products, with exports accounting for more than 45%. However, the EU sanctions order that began in 2001 has been the heart of many export companies. The price of energy-saving light bulbs exported from China to the EU has risen by 66%.
If the anti-dumping duty can be abolished, it means that the EU’s six-year sanctions against Chinese manufacturers have come to an end. The relevant person of Xiamen Tongshida Lighting Co., Ltd. is very optimistic. "After the EU market is liberalized, our global layout will change, and the EU market will increase from 8% to around 30%."
However, Chen Yansheng believes that even if the EU cancels the anti-dumping duty, Chinese companies cannot be blindly optimistic because the EU has added many new technical barriers in recent years.
Lu Sheng, a WTO expert, said that although the EU may cancel the anti-dumping duty on energy-saving lamps in China, it cannot be considered that other products are relevant. Lu Sheng stressed, "Will you cancel the anti-dumping duties, you have to consider the needs of each product, the situation of Chinese manufacturers and local vendors."
The shoe industry is not good
The goodness of energy-saving lamps will bring some luck to Chinese leather shoes? The facts are not optimistic.
In October last year, the EU ruled on a two-year anti-dumping duty of 16.5% on Chinese leather shoes. According to international practice, after the anti-dumping tax was levied for one year, the relevant enterprises could submit an interim review request.
Compared with energy-saving lamps, the situation of China's footwear industry, which is about to usher in the “interim reviewâ€, is very different.
"Two years of anti-dumping taxation has had a great impact on Chinese companies. Now the export of leather shoes to the EU has declined." Wei Yafei, director of the China Leather Association's shoemaking office, said. However, the imposition of anti-dumping duties did not satisfy the EU. “Obviously, in order to avoid high tax rates, Chinese companies have taken countermeasures. The 'smart approach' includes a switch to a third or third country.†One of the drafters of the EU anti-dumping rules, EU investigator Rudy said. He also said that the shoes exported to the EU by neighboring countries and regions in China have greatly increased, and the EU cannot turn a blind eye.
The EU has now initiated an investigation process to determine these conditions, so that Chinese companies are likely to be charged a higher anti-dumping duty in the next round of review.
For the anti-dumping situation of the footwear industry, Wei Kaimeng, the head of the media of the Aokang Group, said: "There is no favorable change now. Even if it is for the mid-term review, it will be a very long process." And the vice president of the Tama footwear industry. Manager Chen Zhexi revealed that four companies, including Tamar and Aokang, have already filed a lawsuit in the European Court of Appeal, demanding a mid-term review and canceling the 16.5% anti-dumping duty, which is likely to be successful. However, he also said that even if Aokang and Taima win, the European Commission exempts and refunds the anti-dumping duties of Aokang and Tama. "If other companies do not sue, they will be levied anti-dumping within the two-year limit. tax".
Fu Xin, a lawyer at Kyoto Law Firm, said that the cancellation of anti-dumping duties, including footwear, depends on the results of the “sunset reviewâ€, and this is a very long process. “The EU’s anti-dumping against China is not yet seen. The measures have changed."
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