According to Chinese customs officials, Wenzhou, in the Zhejiang region, exported 480 million pairs of shoes worth $1.965 billion in 2006—10.41% higher in terms of volume and 26.04% in terms of value, compared with 2005.
Although the footwear manufacturing hub continued to increase exports, the growth was said to be slower than in previous years and many companies attributed this slowdown to the effects of the anti-dumping duties imposed by the EU. Some Wenzhou companies stated that their results had been negatively affected by the tariffs, claiming that exports to European countries had fallen to around 30% of the volume exported in 2005. As a result many companies are now shifting their focus to other export markets.
In terms of volume, Wenzhou footwear accounted for 44.21% of the Zhejiang region’s total footwear exports and 62.9% in terms of value.
