Thailand: shoe exports to US and EU continue to fall
According to a report from Thailand’s Customs Department,
the country’s total footwear exports declined during the first six months of the
year.
Its shoe exports for the first half fell 18.7% to $380.72
million, with exports to its the US – its largest footwear export destination 13.3%
– falling 27.9%,
Chanin Jitkomut, president of the Thai Footwear
Association, attributed the decline to lower demand from the US and EU and to competition
from other Asian shoe manufacturing nations.
However, Mr Chanin said shipments to Asean countries,
particularly Myanmar and Vietnam, have shown strong growth. This has prompted
some manufacturers to relocate their production sites.
"Higher labour costs and shortage of workers
domestically have also encouraged footwear enterprises to invest overseas to
support business growth," he said.
China is the world's leading footwear exporter, he said followed
by Vietnam and Indonesia, while Thailand ranks "eighth or ninth".
Thailand’s footwear sector currently employs between
250,000 and 300,000 workers.
