Vietnam’s footwear makers aim high
According to local media reports which quote the Vietnam Leather and Footwear Association (Lefaso), the Asian country has set a massive target of $4.5 billion for footwear exports in 2008, some 15.4% higher than the figures achieved in 2007, as manufacturers aim to exploit the potential in new markets and raise the quality of their products.
Speaking to the media Lefaso stated that while the main export markets of the USA, the EU, Japan, Canada and Australia are likely to remain important, the country hopes to expand its presence in emerging markets in Africa, Southern Asia and Eastern Europe, where, as yet, there is less competition than in the established regions and regulations are not as tight.
Other measures to achieve the new target also include improving the quality of its footwear products, a policy which is proving successful in other producing countries such as Brazil, in order to be able to secure its share of the buoyant global demand for higher-end and luxury footwear.
