All Trade & Sourcing articles
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Article
Brazilian shoemakers hope Trump will help boost their sales to the US
As Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th President of the US on Jan. 20, Brazilian shoemakers hope to benefit from a possible reduction in shipments of Chinese footwear to the world’s largest market in value in the wake of higher import duties. During his electoral campaign, Trump, who ...
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Xtratuf focuses on lifestyle and outdoor markets
Xtratuf is shifting its focus to lifestyle and outdoor markets. The US brand, initially popular among commercial fishermen, now has a diversified customer base. Half of customers are male adults, while women and children make up the other 50 percent – a significant change from the 70 to 75 percent ...
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Boot Barn sees growth underpinned by store openings
Boot Barn expects sales growth to continue to be underpinned by store openings, as it approaches the halfway mark of a goal to have 900 stores operating in the US in the next four or five years. Jim Watkins, the Chief Financial Officer of the US footwear retailer, explained during ...
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News briefs
Red Dragonfly plans to produce in Uzbekistan
China’s Zhejiang Red Dragonfly Shoes plans to invest $10 million in footwear production in Uzbekistan, according to the local trade association Uzcharmsanoat. Red Dragonfly is expected to visit the country in the coming weeks to select a location for the facility. In June 2023, Uzcharmsanoat launched a project to establish ...
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News briefs
Vietnam’s leather, footwear, handbag exports up by over 11% in 2024
In 2024, Vietnam’s leather, footwear and handbag exports totaled an estimated $27 billion, up by 11.45 percent from the previous year, according to Lefaso, the Vietnam leather, footwear and handbag association. Lefaso had forecast exports reaching between $26 billion to $27 billion. North America accounted for 41.4 percent of Vietnam’s ...
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News briefs
Cambodia's footwear exports grow by over 24%
Cambodia exported $12.22 billion worth of garments, footwear and travel goods in the first eleven months of 2024, up by 24.9 percent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Commerce. Garments and textiles exports were up by 25.8 percent to $8.94 billion, while footwear grew by 24.3 percent ...
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News briefs
Indian footwear industry targets $26 billion in sales by 2030
The Indian footwear industry is targeting sales of $26 billion by 2030, including $8 billion of export revenues. Currently, the footwear market, both leather and non-leather, is estimated at $18 billion, including $6 billion in exports. The government aims to increase local manufacturing capacity, enhance quality standards and strengthen the ...
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News briefs
French footwear exports flat
In the first 10 months of 2024, French footwear exports totaled €4.6 billion, in line with the same period last year, according to Alliance France Cuir. Overall exports of French leather goods increased by 3 percent to €10.7 billion over the period.
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Hong Fu breaks ground on its Tamil Nadu factory
On Dec. 16, MK Stalin, the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, laid the foundation stone for a manufacturing unit of the Taiwanese footwear firm Hong Fu Industrial Group at the SIPCOT Park Industrial Estate at Panapakkam in the Ranipet district. The 1,500 crore rupee (€168 million) ...
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EU and Mercosur conclude free trade agreement talks
After 25 years of negotiations, the European Union and Mercosur countries have concluded talks on a free trade agreement, according to Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission. ”We have concluded the negotiations for the EU-Mercosur agreement. It marks the beginning of a new story. I now ...
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News briefs
EU-Mercosur free trade deal “in sight”
A free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur countries is “in sight” after 25 years of negotiations, according to Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission. “Touchdown in Latin America. The finish line of the EU-Mercosur agreement is in sight. Let’s work, let’s cross it. ...
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C-Suite interview: BFShow to grow with the Brazilian footwear industry
Haroldo Ferreira, the president of Brazilian footwear association Abicalçados, expects BFShow to grow in lockstep with the Brazilian footwear industry and believes that a free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur will also be beneficial to European shoemakers. BFShow is the trade show promoted by Abicalçados in partnership ...
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News briefs
Cambodia sees apparel, footwear, travel products orders up 20-30% in 2025
Orders received by Cambodian manufacturers of apparel, footwear and travel products are expected to increase by 20 to 30 percent in 2025 compared to 2024, according to the Cambodia Confederation of Investors Association (CCIA). “This increase in orders will provide more job opportunities for workers, contributing to improved employment prospects,” ...
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French parliament opposes EU-Mercosur deal
The French senate and the lower house of Parliament, the Chamber of Deputies, have rejected a tentative free trade agreement negotiated by the European Commission and Mercosur. On Nov. 27, 338 senators out of 348 voted against the draft agreement. The day before, 484 members of the lower house approved ...
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News briefs
Dean Shoes lays foundation stone of new Indian factory
On Nov. 15, MK Stalin, the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, laid the foundation stone for a manufacturing unit of the Taiwanese footwear firm Dean Shoes at SIPCOT Park in Jayankondam, in the Ariyalur district. Dean Shoes is investing about $118.5 million in the facility which ...
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Russia’s footwear imports are declining
During the first nine months of 2024, Russia imported 261.6 million pairs of shoes, 11.2 percent less than the previous year, according to the Russian Center for Prospective Technologies, a government agency monitoring the retail industry. In the third quarter of 2024, the agency stated that imports were 9.7 percent ...
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News briefs
US tariffs seen having limited impact on Spanish economy
The possible introduction of trade tariffs by the US is expected to have a limited impact on the Spanish economy, according to Gonzalo Gortazar, the CEO of the Spanish bank CaixaBank. He noted that only 5 percent of Spanish exports go to the US. Meanwhile, exports contribute about 40 percent ...
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CEC and Abicalçados call for a swift conclusion of EU-Mercosur free trade talks
CEC, the European footwear confederation, and Abicalçados, which represents Brazilian shoemakers, are among the 78 business associations representing a diverse array of industries from the European Union (EU) and Mercosur asking their governments to rapidly conclude negotiations for a free trade agreement between the two economic blocks. Mercosur was established ...
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Portugal’s FAIST project to create 300 jobs
The FAIST project launched by the Portuguese footwear industry to develop innovative products by the end of 2025 is expected to create 300 new jobs in the coming months, according to the project coordinator, Florbela Silva, in an interview released by the country’s footwear, components and leather goods manufacturers’ association, ...
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Higher US tariffs could sharply impact Chinese footwear imports
Proposals by President-Elect Donald Trump to increase US trade tariffs could significantly curtail footwear exports to the country, especially those from China, according to a survey carried out by Trade Partnership Worldwide for the US’ National Retail Federation (NRF). The survey analyzed six widely purchased consumer goods including footwear. The ...