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event, generating a possible $8 million-worth of business. According to a report published by the Arab Brazilian News Agency (ANBA), deals worth $2.08 million were closed at the fair and another $6.3 million in business is forecast to be
“globally known brand of footwear and accessories for the fashion, surf, travel, and medical industries”.
BRAZIL
A footwear manufacturer from China, UpTop, has applied to set up a new factory in the heartland of the industry in Brazil
with 1000 pairs per day and 200 workers.
MEXICO
Mexico’s economy minister, Eduardo Sojo, has confirmed in a radio interview that a programme of economic aid the government is preparing to launch will include footwear as one of the
the money would be to construct modern business parks to house new and existing manufacturing firms.
GERMANY
German athletic footwear brand Puma has reported improved financial results for 2007 despite facing economic challeng
new organisers of the Midec footwear event in Paris have declared themselves satisfied with the latest edition of the Paris event in spite of the “special context” surrounding it. In a press statement they took a final swipe at the old organisi
e Coq Sportif has designed a new boot for the captain of Italy’s national rugby team, Sergio Parisse. The Number 8, who was actually born in Argentina, wore the new boots—called Puncher 2 Thaiti—for the first time in Italy’s Six Nations
angelo’s paintings there.
RUSSIA
The impressive delegation of Russian footwear buyers attending the Micam exhibition in Milan at the end of February stayed in Italy after the event. The inward investment agency for the traditional footw
t important for high-end Italian leather shoes in recent years.
SPAIN
The organisers of the spring edition of Madrid’s leather and footwear fairs, Sipiel and Modacalzado, said that the events went well, especially given that the last day, Sund
lower numbers on Sunday as buyers from Spain wanted to be at home to vote.
PAKISTAN
Although Pakistan’s footwear exports crept 0.27% higher month-on-month in January to reach $8.915 million, up from $8.891 million in the same
llion pairs worth $ 63.4 million, down from 8.6 million pairs worth $64.9 million in same period of the previous year.
BANGLADESH
With footwear demand growing at an estimated 20% a year in Bangladesh, important retail groups are
rkers in a factory in southern China who make footwear for Nike have been given a big increase in their salaries. According to reports that emerged after a press tour of the site hosted by Nike executives, the average wage in the Donggua
site, producing 14 million pairs of Nike shoes a year.
UNITED STATES
The maker of colourful plastic shoe brand Crocs has said that it has no intention of allowing retailer Costco to sell its products. “While there have been rumours and
to Costco.” He added that when Crocs had found instances of resellers supplying, it had ended its relationship with those customers.
CANADA
Italy’s National Institute of Statistics has confirmed strong growth in the two-way trade betwee
n leather footwear were up by 23%. Italy’s main imports from Canada were raw materials; in total, goods worth ?1.8 billion went from Canada into the Italian market last year.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
The first Expo Riva Middle East s
deals worth $2.08 million were closed at the fair and another $6.3 million in business is forecast to be sealed over the next 12 months.
AUSTRALIA
K-9 Concepts, Inc. has completed its acquisition of 100% of the outstanding membershi
cturer from China, UpTop, has applied to set up a new factory in the heartland of the industry in Brazil, Novo Hamburgo. The mayor of the city, Jair Foscarini, is analysing the proposal, which includes a request that the city authorities pro
t a programme of economic aid the government is preparing to launch will include footwear as one of the sectors to benefit. The budget for the programme will be around $50 million. The minister said half of this would go into a federal gov
c footwear brand Puma has reported improved financial results for 2007 despite facing economic challenges, and says its outlook for this year remains positive. Currency-adjusted global brand sales grew more than 3% to reach
€
2.7 billio
spite of the “special context” surrounding it. In a press statement they took a final swipe at the old organising team for picking dates that sat just outside the collection of fashion events known as ‘Paris Capitale de la Création’, which yearly
ally born in Argentina, wore the new boots—called Puncher 2 Thaiti—for the first time in Italy’s Six Nations match in Paris against France in March. They have predominantly blue uppers to match Italy’s colours, but have an amazing desi
at the end of February stayed in Italy after the event. The inward investment agency for the traditional footwear manufacturing region of Le Marche has revealed that it invited the Russian delegation to travel south after the exhibition to
footwear fairs, Sipiel and Modacalzado, said that the events went well, especially given that the last day, Sunday, March 9, coincided with general elections in Spain. The opening day of the fairs, Friday, March 7 attracted 1,500 more visit
xports crept 0.27% higher month-on-month in January to reach $8.915 million, up from $8.891 million in the same month last year, the overall picture for the industry looks far from positive. According to the latest figures released by the F
LADESH
With footwear demand growing at an estimated 20% a year in Bangladesh, important retail groups are expanding across the country. Bata, which currently has 237 retail outlets in Bangladesh, has announced that it will open 40
reports that emerged after a press tour of the site hosted by Nike executives, the average wage in the Dongguan factory—run by Hong Kong-based Yue Yuen Industrial and owned by Yue Yuen’s parent company, Pou Chen Group of Taiwa
aid that it has no intention of allowing retailer Costco to sell its products. “While there have been rumours and speculation that we are now selling our footwear to Costco, this is untrue,” said Ron Snyder, Crocs president and chief executi
omers
CANADA
Italy’s National Institute of Statistics has confirmed strong growth in the two-way trade between the country and Canada with leather footwear—along with wine—leading factors in the growth east-to-west The govern
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CHINA
The chief executive of Chinese athletic footwear
brand Anta, Ding Zhizhong, has told local media that he is
aiming to overtake adidas in the Chinese market and hold
second place there to Nike, while building up its presence in
the international marketplace. Reports say that Anta has
already overtaken Li-Ning as the biggest home-grown
sports brand in China, with revenues in 2011 of around
$1.4 billion, which represents growth of 20.2%. Mr Ding has
said that orders for 2012 are 20% higher again.
UNITED STATES
Outdoor footwear brand Teva, which
specialises in sandals for leisure activities in and around
water, marked World Water Day on March 22 by
challenging its customers to go one day without water. It
said the idea behind the initiative was to raise awareness of
the difficulty many communities in the developing world
face in securing reliable supplies of clean water. Participants
were challenged by Teva to pick any single day in the period
leading up to World Water Day and live one aspect of their
lives without water for that 24-hour period.
PAKISTAN
Pakistan exported 8.8 million pairs
of shoes in the first three quarters of this financial
year, compared to 9.1 million for the same
months a year ago, a decline of 3.3%.
INDONESIA
Footwear industry associations in
Indonesia and Malaysia have signed a memorandum of
understanding to co-operate rather than compete in
their domestic markets. The idea is that footwear
manufacturers in both countries will be able to achieve
growth locally in the face of challenging market
conditions further afield.
JAPAN
A high-end menswear store in the Tokyo district
of Harajuku gave pride of place in a recent window display
to custom-made shoes from London-based George
Cleverley. Unusually, the shoes in the display were not for
sale; they were all owned by directors of the menswear
company, Beams. They felt vintage bespoke shoes from
George Cleverley helped project the image of Beams that
they want to put across to Tokyo consumers.
VIETNAM
Vietnam’s total exports are
estimated to have reached $33.4 billion during
the January-April 2012 period compared to
$26.9 billion in the corresponding period last
year. The share of leather footwear and
products in total exports stood at $2.4 billion
compared to $2.1 billion in Jan-April 2011,
according to data released by the General
Statistics Office of Vietnam.
MEXICO
Following a campaign by Mexican footwear
manufacturers in the early part of this year, the government
there has announced a new agreement to control the price
of shoe imports from China. A tariff agreement between
China and Mexico ended in December 2011. In the early
part of 2012, Mexican footwear industry leaders said import
levels from China surged. They said that in January 2012,
Mexico imported almost 1.5 million pairs of shoes from
China. The corresponding figure for January 2011 when the
tariff was in place was 490,000, which means the January
2012 figure was more than 200% higher.
ARGENTINA
Reports from Brazil say that
almost 2.5 million pairs of shoes from
manufacturers there were being held at the
Argentinean border at the end of March,
waiting for customs clearance. Of these, the
Brazilian sources claim, 730,000 pairs have
been waiting to enter the Argentina since last
year. In February the Argentinean government
introduced new controls on imports, obliging
retailers and other importers in the country to
make formal declarations in advance about
which goods they want to bring into the
country and in what quantities for specific
periods of time. This is in addition to
measures already in place to keep a tight
control over import licences.