CICEG looks to secure future of Mexican footwear industry
24/10/2017
The lead speaker at the event was Dr Enrique Hussel Peters, coordinator of the China-Mexico Study Centre at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
He said the cancellation of NAFTA would not have any “significant effect” on the Mexican footwear industry in the short term, but warned that it was important to “reinvigorate” shoe exports and increase their added value.
Dr Hussel Peters presented a serious of proposals to increase Mexico’s shoes exports to the US, which he said has been the destination of around 85% of the country’s footwear exports during the past 15 years.
His suggestions included establishing a strategy for 2020-2030 to stimulate shoe exports via financial incentives. He also called for the state government of Guanajuato to create a mechanism that monitors the state’s footwear exports so that local exporters have access to more in-depth market information.
Another of his proposals is for the state government to offer local footwear manufacturers some medium-term security by guaranteeing costs in the face of strong international demand. International buyers should also be encouraged to commit to short and medium-term agreements.
Dr Hussel Peters also suggested that CICEG should lead a study into the possibility of increasing the quality of leather used in shoes exported by Mexican companies.
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