In return, Danes, with a krone of their own (both countries belong to the European Union, but neither uses the euro), are increasingly taking the Oresund bridge-and-tunnel into Sweden to buy low-taxed children's shoes and clothing.

ECONOMIST: Scandinavian shoppers

China's exports are still mostly low-end manufactures, such as toys and shoes, which do not usually compete head-on with South-East Asia's higher-end products, such as electronics.

ECONOMIST: China��s currency

Poland's strength is in the same low- to medium-technology goods, such as furniture, shoes and processed foods, as those produced in struggling Greece, Portugal and Italy, putting Poland in direct competition with countries the euro zone is fighting to save.

WSJ: European Disunion: Euro's Allure Dims in Eastern Europe

The European Commission imposed the duties in 2006, following a complaint by European manufacturers who argued that they were unable to compete with shoes dumped in the European market by low-cost producers in China and Vietnam.

FORBES: China's Currency Fortune Cookie: What's Inside?

Soles4Souls controller Tim Deats, a former shoe-industry manager, told Forbes his charity values gifts at estimated manufacturing cost, a low figure since most shoes are imported from China.

FORBES: Charity Eyes Quarter-Billion-Dollar Write-Down In Value Of Goods Handled