Workers on the production line for women's shoes at the Junsheng Shoe factory in Dongguan. Currently, shoe export volume accounts for 25 percent of the total annual output in China. [Photo / Bloomberg]

The decision was made after the European footwear industry body withdrew its petition

BEIJING -The European Union (EU) plans to terminate its four-year-long anti-dumping duties on leather shoes imported from China as of April 1. The move will present an opportunity for Chinese shoe manufacturers to expand business in the European markets.

The decision was made after the European Confederation of Footwear Industries, Europe's largest shoemakers association, withdrew its petition for an extension of tariffs.

The European Commission, which oversees trade policy for the 27-nation bloc, will monitor imports of Chinese-made footwear with leather uppers in a bid to protect producers within the EU, most of whom are small or medium-sized, according to a statement on the Ministry of Commerce website on Tuesday.