The European Union (EU) on Thursday formally adopted definitive anti-dumping measures on leather shoe imports from China and Vietnam, the EU Council said in a statement.

Punitive duties of 16.5 percent and 10 percent will be imposed on Chinese and Vietnamese leather shoes respectively "to protect the EU footwear market," it said.

The measures will enter into force from Saturday, when the provisional duties expire, and will be applicable for two years, it added.

EU justice and home affairs ministers adopted the measures by simple majority at their meeting in Luxembourg, according to the statement.

A day earlier, EU member states struck a compromise deal to introduce controversial two-year anti-dumping duties on Chinese and Vietnamese leather shoes after months of bargaining.

The measures were adopted by the slightest margin at a meeting of permanent representatives of the 25 EU nations in Brussels. Nine countries voted in favor of the two-year measures and 12 against, with 4 countries abstaining. Under EU laws, abstentions in such cases count as in favor of the proposal as they do not oppose it.

Children's shoes, which were not covered by the provisional anti-dumping duties introduced since April 7, are now subject to the definitive duties.

In April, the EU imposed provisional tariffs of 19.4 percent on leather shoes from China and 16.8 percent on those from Vietnam, which were phased in over six months.

The latest move to introduce definitive anti-dumping duties was widely criticized by European business and consumer groups, which say that such measures will lead to job losses in the retail sector, and hurt millions of consumers.

Source: Xinhua