China filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization against the European Union's anti- dumping measures targeting Chinese-made leather shoes, China's Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on its Web site today.

China submitted its request for WTO consultations with the EU after bilateral talks failed to address China's concern, ministry spokesman Yao Jian said in the statement. In December, the EU extended tariffs of as high as 16.5 percent on leather shoes from China and Vietnam for 15 months in a bid to help southern producers in the bloc counter below-cost -- or "dumped" -- imports.

"China believes that the anti-dumping investigations and the findings made by the EU violated various obligations under the WTO, and consequently caused damage to the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese exporters," China's mission to the WTO in Geneva said in a statement.

The duties were extended after a 2006 decision to impose tariffs on Chinese and Vietnamese footwear expired. Today's request for consultations is the first step in the WTO case. Under the trade arbiter's rules, China and the EU must now hold talks for at least two months in an effort to resolve the dispute. If consultations fail, China can ask WTO judges to rule.