Ministry encourages more footwear exports to EU

Vietnamese footwear exporters should strengthen their sales to the European Union, where demand of footwear imports is expected to increase by 5.3 percent this year, the trade ministry said.

Europe’s footwear production has dropped 20 percent this year as many factories closed due to the economic recession, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said.

Since most Vietnamese shoemakers pay for imports of materials in dollars, the strengthening euro against the greenback is another advantage of exporting to the EU, the ministry said.

Vietnam’s total footwear exports in the first half dropped by nearly 9 percent year on year to US$2.06 billion, the ministry said.

The EU last year removed Vietnam’s footwear industry from a preferential tariff program for exports to the grouping.

Vinh Bao

thanhnien

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