It also expressed its hope that the ‘no’ will be also confirmed at ministerial level.

It stated that “antidumping rules impose duties on imported products deemed to be below cost price, thus making imports more expensive and driving up prices in our stores. In the current crisis, citizens are right to expect the EU to terminate these long-standing measures which artificially ‘protect’ the footwear industry.”

“For this specific sector Malta is certainly an importing and not an exporting country, therefore, our retailers and consumers are made to pay extra hefty costs to protect the few foreign European producers. Maltese traders should not have been made to subsidise the few footwear producers still operating in other EU countries. We are therefore very pleased the Maltese Government took our advise this time in favour not only of our enterprises importing these footwear products but also consumers,” GRTU concluded.

Comments (0)