European dealers and retailers are still keen on cost-effective Chinese shoes despite the European Union's anti-dumping duties imposed earlier this month, a representative of the Italian footwear retailing industry has said.

The presence of Massimo Donda, president of Federcalzature, a 120-year-old Italian footwear retailers' association representing 11,000 Italian retailers at the ongoing 99th Chinese Export Commodity Fair is a pleasant surprise for Chinese shoemakers that have been haunted by EU's anti-dumping duties and the possible frustrations their businesses might suffer.

His speech delivered at the fair, entitled "Can Chinese industry go better", has cheered up many of them.

"China's shoe industry enjoys rosy prospects," he said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua at a footwear exhibition in Dongguan, a manufacturing base in the booming southern Chinese province Guangdong.

"Low price is just one of its advantages. More importantly, the Chinese industry can do better in terms of design, workmanship and technological renovation," Donda said.

The duties on Chinese shoes started at 4.8 percent from April 7 and will rise to 19.4 percent in the next six months, according to the European Union.

Donsa said it is groundless for some EU shoemakers to blame import rise from China for the business declines in certain European industries.

It's true the total output by European shoemakers fell by 46 percent between 1995 and 2003, while footwear import climbed by 73 percent, he said. "But the increase in imports from China fell below EU's total import rise from the world."

Donda said imports make up 82 percent of all the shoes on sale at the EU market, while only 18 percent are made locally in Europe.

"This is the general trend and it's be very difficult to prevent European dealers from buying from China and other countries," he said.

Even in Italy, a famed shoe manufacturer, it is hard for the domestic industry to meet local demands without importing from other countries, because most high-end Italian shoes are for export.

"Italian-made shoes make up only 3.11 percent of the world total but its export accounts for nearly 4 percent," said Donda, "which means the Italian industry still has room for development despite the fierce competition from China, Vietnam and India."

Import has also helped lower retail prices on the EU market, according to Donda. "Italian consumers bought 415 million pairs of shoes last year, valued at 12.7 billion euros, or 30 euros for each pair," he said. "The price would have been much higher if not for imports from China... If'd mean suicide if we abandon the Chinese market."

Donda said European buyers are placing few orders in China now because many of them increased orders before April hoping to minimize the impact of the anti-dumping duties.

"But most European markets will be running out of stock. We just hope the temporary restrictive measure won't end up to be a long-term measure effective for five years. We have to work with European shoe importers, Chinese shoemakers and European equipment producers to prevent that."

China's shoe exports make up two thirds of the world total and include a full range of footwear products including sneakers, leather and leatheroid shoes.

The European Commission (EC) announced in late March that it would place anti-dumping duties on leather shoes from China and Vietnam, despite the fact that only three countries voted in favor of the tariffs, 10 voted against and 11 abstained.

The duties have overshadowed this year's Chinese Export Commodity Fair, a biannual event launched in 1957.