Retail Ireland calls on European Commission to reject shoe tax

Irish retailers are urging the European Commission to accept that its plans to add import taxes to shoes from China and Vietnam are "dead and buried".

Retail Ireland, the IBEC group that represents Irish retailers, has praised the Irish Government for responding to its calls to oppose the measure. Ireland is one of 14 EU countries to have registered an intention to vote against.

Irish retailers have consistently opposed the duties, saying they would hit low income families.

"Customers will be hoping that enough countries have now come out against import taxes to kill them off for good," said Retail Ireland director Torlach Denihan today.

"A 16.5% duty would have a serious impact on low income families and retailers already struggling to absorb energy bills, rents, rates and labour costs rising well above the European average.

"This flawed plan was always about protecting the interests of a few uncompetitive European producers at the expense of consumers and retailers. The Commission should take the hint and bury it.

"We hope the opposition to these duties is an indication of a new determination among the majority of EU states to face down protectionism."

The price of shoes in Ireland has fallen by 38% in the last four years, yet a central argument made by Commissioner Mandelson is that the price of shoes to European consumers has been stable over the last four years, according to Retail Ireland.