Italy Reduces Importing Vietnam’s Leather Shoes
Italy’s leather shoes imports from Vietnam in the first eight months of 2009 fell sharply from a year earlier to four million pairs, Trend Calzaturiero, the Footwear Web Service in Italy, said in its latest report giving no on-year comparative figure.
Trend Calzaturiero’s report also showed Italy’s shoes imports from worldwide nations fell up to 31.8% in the eight-month period, including imports from China.
The reduction is attributed to the global economic downturn which curbs Italian consumers’ purchasing.
Economists, however, added the imposition of duties on shoes originated from China and Vietnam lowered the competitiveness of the two nations’ footwear products in Italy.
The Association of Italian Shoes Producers is making pressure on its government to ask the European Commission to extend the anti-dumping tariff on the two Asian nations’ products in order to raise the degrading domestic footwear industry.
Italy’s shoes exports reduced by 25.8 million pairs, or 15.7%, from a year earlier between January and August.
Trend Calzaturiero forecast the market shares of Vietnamese and Chinese footwear in Ytaly will continue narrowing in 2010. (Vietnam & World Economy)
Vietnamese
