The Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (Fesi) has been assured that ski boots will be included in the talks on a free trade agreement between Japan and the European Union (EU), which had a positive first round in Brussels in mid-April. Fesi officials will discuss the timeline and the scope of the liberalization process in this product category with the European Commission before the end of May. Winter sports equipment companies are particularly eager for the abolition of a Japanese import duty of 27 percent on ski boots. There is also an import duty of 17 percent for ski boots in the EU. FESI wants them abolished on both sides to stimulate the industry. The organization points out that the European production of ski boots provides a substantial amount of high-skilled jobs, estimating that the Italian area of Montebelluna alone accounts for about 75 percent of global ski boot manufacturing.

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