PUWORLD (08/11/14) --- While numerous rigorous quality standards and redundant anti-dumping investigations put China footwear enterprises in a quandary, the Chinese government is making joint effort with victim enterprises to muscle through hard times.
At the Open of the third phase of the 104th Canton Fair, Department of Foreign Trade (MOC) and Department of Supervision and Inspection (AQSIQ) distributed brochures of export footwear quality free of charge to the attendant enterprises, aiming at helping China footwear enterprises to have a complete understanding of foreign quality standards and regulations. Meanwhile, CCCLA (China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Light Industrial Products and Arts-Crafts) will also launch a series of training activities at Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong provinces to boost China footwear quality.
After the EU announced “sun-set retrial”, MOC successively launched cooperating meetings in Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong areas to call on footwear manufacturers to go all out for the defences. As yet, 60 enterprises have joined this action. Nevertheless, China Leather Association, China Light Industry Chamber, as well as Wenzhou Footwear and Leather Association and Guandong Footwear Union have all set firm united front.
After 30-year development, China has developed into the largest footwear manufacturer and export country. By now, more than 10 billion pairs of shoes are produced by China footwear industry every year, with a yearly output occupying 60% of the global volume; more than 8 million of the shoes are exported abroad.
Apart from these gratifying successes, as some insiders point out, there are still defects stripped with China footwear industry, like overcapacity, low-end industrial chain, and anemic investment in R&D, brand-building and marketing. Amid the harsh foreign trade atmosphere, China footwear industry should optimize industrial structure and boost products’ quality, to secure itself an invincible position in the international market.