Acicam president laments impact of imported Chinese goods
27/01/2017
Luis Gustavo Flórez made the comments in an interview with specialist online media organisation Modaes. He said that imports from Asia have “directly impacted” Colombia’s footwear and leather sectors, describing them as “a large obstacle” to growth. He called for an increase in customs controls, especially for products coming from Asia, as well as from Panama.
Mr Flórez said companies also need to work on improving their competitiveness and productivity. He highlighted the creation of a new programme to this end, which has seen Acicam establish partnerships with Colombian companies to help them boost their productivity.
He also urged Colombian footwear companies to diversify their export destinations, given that two of its primary markets, Venezuela and Ecuador, are suffering economic difficulties. He admitted that Colombia’s footwear exports remain “fairly modest”, at approximately two million pairs each year. To improve this, Acicam is aiming to develop a strategy for increasing its sales to the US, as well as other Latin and Central American countries.
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