EU member states debate taxing children’s shoes

CHILDREN’S shoes could be taxed for the first time under proposals to be debated by EU member states during the next month.

Ireland, however, is opposing the move which could add €1.50 to a pair of 35 shoes.

Anti-dumping tariffs have, since April, already been levied on adults’ leather shoes from China and Vietnam.

EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson proposed an extension of the tax to include children’s shoes for an unlimited number of years.

The proposal has been criticised harshly by Irish shoe retailers.

But Fine Gael’s MEP Simon Coveney said the tariff should not be described as a tax but as a measure to save European jobs and industry when it was facing unfair competition.

He claimed: “China employs all kinds of unfair measures including using forced prison labour to produce goods. European manufacturers cannot compete against that.”

However, Mr Coveney urged the consumer watchdog to ensure retailers did not take advantage of the situation to hike up shoe costs.

Over 10% of the 2.5 billion pairs of leather shoes sold in the EU each year come from these two Asian countries — an increase of 1,000% over the past four years.

The demand for action has been led by Italy, where 40% of EU shoes are produced, and which claims one-fifth of jobs in the industry were lost in the past year.

EU member states have been split on the tariffs but now they will have to decide whether to continue them after October 6 or not.

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment said they were studying the proposals.