EU countries back plastic bag dumping duties

BRUSSELS, Sep 30 (Reuters) EU governments have backed a plan for anti-dumping duties on many of the plastic bags used by shoppers around the bloc, the latest move by Brussels to slow what it says is unfair trading by Asian exporters.

Items ranging from shopping bags to bin liners made in China or Thailand will carry extra import duties averaging about 8 percent and lasting five years, a European Union official said.

The plan was proposed in July by the EU's executive Commission and, after some changes, was approved on Sept. 25 by member states, the bloc's Official Journal said on Friday.

France, home to several bag producers suffering from competition with Asia, pushed hardest for the duties, EU diplomats have said.

Under the plan, duties will not be imposed on exporters in Malaysia, the journal said.

China has challenged the legitimacy of the EU's investigation into its plastic bag exports to the bloc, which are worth an estimated 0 million a year.

British retailers, such as supermarket chains Tesco, Asda Stores, Sainsbury and Wm. Morrison, protested earlier this year that the anti-dumping probe was flawed because it did not have the support of enough of the EU industry.

Brussels has denied that charge.

More controversially, the European Commission has also proposed anti-dumping duties for leather shoe exports from China and Vietnam.

That plan has split the EU's 25 countries down the middle and time is running out for its approval before a deadline at the end of next week, when provisional anti-dumping duties on the shoes expire.

REUTERS MQA PM0946