India to take advantage of EU duties
Indian minister of state for Commerce Mr Jairam Ramesh is to meet with officials from the Council for Leather Exports (CLE) to identify an action plan in order to take advantage of the recent EU anti-dumping duties imposed upon leather footwear from
The Indian footwear industry views this development as the opening of a ‘new marketing window’ with new opportunities within the EU.
He revealed that Taiwanese companies have shown interest in investing in the industry in both Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu (Sriperumpudur). The focus would be on diversifying from high-end products in the $15-$20 per pair price band to low-priced leather products in the range of $5 to $9 per pair to become more competitive. "We must switch over to volumes rather than persisting in the high price segments," he added.
He also noted that, while the global market has sizeable non-leather footwear, Indian production is mainly leather and that there is a need for greater production of non-leather to be a true contender in the global market. He also said that investment in the Indian leather industry, both domestic and foreign, is important for both exports and employment generation.
