Reopened trade flows worry Venezuela’s footwear producers
Venezuela’s footwear manufacturers have said a renewal of trade flows with Colombia after years of restrictions threatens their potential for recovery.
One of the most important trade routes between the two countries, connecting Cúcuta in Colombia and the Venezuelan state of Táchira, reopened several weeks ago.
Footwear from Colombia is more competitively priced than shoes made in Venezuela, owing to production efficiencies. This has led industry commentators to say this will make business difficult for manufacturers in Venezuela, just as they were entering into a recovery phase.
One, economist Daniel Ruiz, predicted in recent comments that the price difference would become a serious problem in 2023. He said: “Shoes, clothing, food and other imported products arrive at lower prices than those made within the country. This puts Venezuelan businesses at a disadvantage, since they must manage to offer better quality and overcome challenges when it comes to obtaining the raw material and also pay taxes.”
