The 58.9% ad-valorem duty on imported suede leather that is made in China (customs codes: 4114 10 10 e 4114 10 90) stays active. The European Commission spreads the news via the publication of the Official Journal of the European Union, last February 20th: the tariff, introduced in 2006, remains active as an anti-dumping measure to favor the community’s production.
Process
The European Commission, took all the necessary time to complete the expiry review (the re-examination of the duty once it is about to expire), of the duty: the process, which started in 2017, saw the British tanners’ association (Leather UK), supported by UNIC – Italian Tanners when consulted by the EC, represent the viewpoint of who believes that the duty is still a necessity. The types of leather that are in the purview of the duty also include oil-tanned mouton splits that are sold as “chamois leather”, one of the few products in the tanning segment to be B2C, meaning sold directly to the final consumer.
The conclusions
The commission recognized, at the end of the process, that the “repeal of the measure would have, most likely, increased the amount of imports from china, sold at a lower price than those made in Europe, and would have caused further damages on the Community’s industry. As a consequence, the profitability of the EU industry would have been put in serious peril”. The 58.9% duty remains.
In photo, images from the MESI tannery, leader in the production of chamois leather.
