European Union member states yesterday rejected a plan to extend anti-dumping duties against Chinese and Vietnamese footwear.

The vote in the member states' anti-dumping committee was an embarrassment for Lady Ashton, the trade commissioner, who had advocated extended duties. The 15-10 vote, with two abstentions, underlined the difficulty of forging a compromise for one of the most divisive trade disputes facing the bloc.

The complexity of that task has been increased by an economic crisis that has raised fears of protectionism and added a new element of tension to the European Union's trade relations with China.

Commission officials said member states could change their positions before a final vote next month. They were also understood to be exploring a way to provide some legal guarantee that the proposed 15-month extension, if approved, would not again be renewed.

The Commission failed to secure the committee's support when it first proposed the duties three years ago. It ultimately prevailed after a campaign marked by allegations of intense lobbying and backroom dealing.

But opponents of the duties, including Lord Mandelson, the UK business secretary, seized on the vote to argue that the Commission should back down.

“I welcome the result of today's meeting and urge the Commission to reflect the views of the majority of member states and end these duties,” said Lord Mandelson, who initiated the duties in his previous post as trade commissioner.

Retailers such as Clarks and Adidas, which have increasingly outsourced production to Asia, also applauded the committee.

A representative for Lady Ashton said the Commission would “carefully consider” the member states' position, but declined to comment further.

One diplomat said the vote was less an endorsement of free trade than an expression of frustration after the Commission appeared to renege on a political deal from 2006 to allow the duties to lapse after two years. “We have ended up in a situation where you can't trust the Commission,” he said. “Now it's payback time.”