China’s footwear and leather imports up 75%
Local media have reported that China’s leather and footwear imports from January through May of this year increased by 74.5%, reaching approximately $3.9 billion.
Imports of leather shoes, in particular, grew significantly during the period. More than 28 million pairs were imported (+26.7%), Chinese media said, with a value of roughly $1.1 billion. The value of the footwear imported was 59.8% higher than the previous year.
This increase in both the import volume and value of leather footwear was 4.8% higher than in 2020.
After leather footwear, leathergoods such as luggage represented the second largest imported leather category. Between January and May of this year, the import volume (more than 51 million pieces) rose by 29.5%. The value of these imports reportedly surged by 132.3% to around $2.7 billion.
The third-largest category, representing raw hides and semi-finished leathers, also grew. Regarding raw hides, import volume increased by 13.6% to 557,400 tonnes at a value of $514 million (+22%). 250,500 tonnes (+20.2%) of semi-finished leather, valued at $441 million (+33.6%), was also imported.
Meanwhile, China’s leather and footwear exports totalled around $28.2 billion between the months of January and May, representing a year-on-year increase of 37.3%.
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