EU shuts boot imports probe

BRUSSELS – The European Union said yesterday it had dropped a probe into imports of Chinese and Indian safety boots as it struggles to gather support for tariffs in a separate dispute over below-cost imports of leather shoes.

It said European shoemakers withdrew a complaint that footwear with protective toecaps was being illegally imported below cost and hurting European manufacturers. In a notice published in the European Commission’s official journal, the EU executive said it had decided not to continue the investigation because it had not found any evidence that pursuing it would be in the EU’s interest.European states remain split in a separate plan by the commission to levy anti-dumping duties on Chinese and Vietnamese leather shoes after an EU investigation found imports received unfair government subsidies.Nampa-APIn a notice published in the European Commission’s official journal, the EU executive said it had decided not to continue the investigation because it had not found any evidence that pursuing it would be in the EU’s interest.European states remain split in a separate plan by the commission to levy anti-dumping duties on Chinese and Vietnamese leather shoes after an EU investigation found imports received unfair government subsidies.Nampa-AP