By Honor Mahony
Furniture is set to become the next headline issue in the ongoing EU-China debate over anti-dumping with European furniture makers to file a complaint to Brussels about cheap Chinese furniture.

German daily Die Welt reports that the bloc’s furniture industry wants to see punitive tariffs placed on upholstered furniture coming from China.

They complain Beijing is putting sofas and armchairs on the EU market at prices well below what they cost to make, with leather sofas being sold for around €100 in Europe.

Furniture makers in southern European countries but also Belgium and Germany – where the industry is worth €2.5 billion – are particularly hit by the cheap imports, notes the paper.

Any move by Brussels on the issue is likely to further strain trade relations between the two sides, however.

Last year cheap Chinese textiles came under the Brussels microscope while earlier this year EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson brought in protection tariffs on leather shoe imports from China and Vietnam.

The EU itself is divided over the trade pressure from China with some countries pushing the bloc not to be so protectionist and other countries arguing that European industry, where workers’ rights are protected, should be supported.

Speaking earlier this month, Mr Mandelson said “China is the biggest single challenge of globalisation in the trade field”.

His office is drawing up a key report to be released in September and focussing on the “key challenges” such as market access, investment and intellectual property.

“Europe must get China right – as a threat, an opportunity and prospective partner,” said the commissioner.