January 10, 2002
VIETNAM'S footwear industry generated export revenue of $1.55 billion in 2001, an increase of 5.9 per cent on the previous year, according to figures released by the Ministry of Trade. The 300 million pairs of shoes sold abroad last year make Vietnam the world's 8th-largest footwear producer, serving 2.1 per cent of the global market. Shoe manufacturing is principally an export industry for Vietnam with approximately 91.8 per cent of its output leaving the country's shores. Footwear is now Vietnam's fourth most important export product. The European Union remains the industry's major market, accounting for around 80 per cent of international sales. Experts rate Vietnam as a highly competitive producer for the EU, second only to China. Claes Lindahl, ITC senior consultant on export potential assessment, said the 1990's saw a large shift of shoe production from Western countries to newly-industrialized countries in Asia, such as China, Indonesia, Malaysia and, more recently, Vietnam. As a result, the industry is currently based largely on sub-contracting arrangements made with leading market brands such as Nike, Reebok, Bata and so on.
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