Footwear exports slip as imports rise
According to local reports, China’s leather footwear exports fell for the first time in a decade in 2007, slipping 6% year-on-year in terms of volume to 1.3 billion pairs.
However, despite this decline, revenues from leather shoe exports continued to rise, increasing 9% to reach $9.56 billion as producers moved into the production of higher quality, higher-priced products, in part as a result of anti-dumping duties on cheaper shoes. As a result the average price of Chinese footwear rose a significant 13.5% last year to reach $7.29 per pair.
In the meantime, as consumer spending continues to rise, imports of foreign footwear also increased in 2007, rising 42% in terms of volume to reach 11.31 million pairs and by 48% in terms of value at $3.31 billion.
