Wenzhou shoe export gradually restored the EU into the largest market

With the gradual recovery of the world economy, shoe exports in Wenzhou have recovered and exceeded pre-crisis levels. From the point of view of the export trade market, the EU is still the largest market for footwear exports in Wenzhou, and exports to the United States, Croatia, and other countries are growing rapidly.

According to statistics from Wenzhou Customs, in the former July, Wenzhou exported 131 million pairs of shoes to the EU, an increase of 20.5%, accounting for 33.2% of total footwear exports in the same period in Wenzhou; exports to the United States were 0.42 billion pairs, an increase of 85.3%; exports to Russia 0.22 Billion pairs, an increase of 41.7%; exports to Croatia, 30 million pairs of shoes, an increase of 96.2%.

However, due to the slowdown in international market demand, rising labor costs and other factors, Wenzhou footwear exports will continue to face unfavorable factors. First of all, the prospects for demand in major trading markets are not optimistic. Recent data show that demand growth in major consumer markets such as Europe and the United States is slowing. Second, the competitive advantage of Wenzhou shoe export prices is relatively weak. According to Wenzhou Customs officials, at present, the city’s shoe exports are still dominated by middle- and low-end products, lacking products with internationally-renowned brands and independent innovation capabilities. At the same time, China’s major footwear export competitors include Indonesia, Vietnam and India. With its cheaper labor cost advantage, the country is gradually in a favorable position in competition with China's footwear exports.

To this end, the Customs recommends that enterprises should be guided to increase their efforts in the development of the domestic market and overseas emerging markets, and to reduce excessive dependence on traditional developed markets. In addition, it is necessary to encourage and guide enterprises to upgrade the grade and quality of export products, strengthen the cultivation of large shoe enterprises with independent brands and independent innovation capabilities, and enhance their international competitiveness.