Brussels - The European Union is expected to extend its anti-dumping tariffs on imported Chinese and Vietnamese shoes by a further 15 months, officials in Brussels said Friday.

The decision, expected later this year, is designed to protect European producers, but will likely draw negative reactions from Beijing.

The Europeans and the Chinese have already exchanged mutual accusations on a range of trade issues. In June, for instance, the EU requested World Trade Organization action over Chinese export restrictions on raw materials used by the steel, aluminium and chemical industries.

Egged on by domestic shoe manufacturers, the EU agreed in 2006 to apply a 16.5-per cent import duty on Chinese shoes and a 10-per cent duty on Vietnamese shoes. The argument is that the two Asian countries are selling their products at a price below production costs.

The decision by EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton to extend the tariffs is believed to have split the 27-member bloc into two opposing blocs: free-trade advocates in the north and shoe-exporting countries such as Italy and Spain in the south. (dpa)