The EU finally agreed to impose anti-dumping duties on shoe imports from Asia yesterday after months of bitter infighting between southern and northern EU states.

The decision means that the price of children's shoes could rise in the coming weeks and interim duties on adult shoes will continue for at least two years.

The commission has downplayed the effect of the duties on retail prices, saying that it would add about €1.4 to the average wholesale price of a €8.5 pair of shoes.

But the employers' body Ibec condemned the decision for pandering to protectionist forces in Italy and warned that it would cost Irish consumers €7 million in 2006.

Under a compromise proposal supported by the European Commission and nine states, leather shoes from Vietnam and China will face duties of 10 per cent and 16 per cent respectively.

The anti-dumping measures will remain in place for two years rather than the five originally proposed by the commission in an earlier proposal.

Ireland was among a group of 12 countries, mostly from northern Europe, that opposed levying duties on shoe imports from Vietnam and China.

However, a group of nine EU states with large shoe manufacturing industries led by Italy voted in favour of the duties.

The remaining four member states abstained from the vote, which enabled the anti-dumping measure to pass after several months of rancorous debate.