According to figures released by customs officials, Whenzhou district in the Zhe Jiang province of China exported 312.41 million pairs of shoes with a value of $1.037 billion in the period January to November 2004. This increase equates to a 25.9% increase in the quantity of footwear exported and a 37.04% increase in the value of exports compared with the same period in 2003. The unit price by 8.48% to reach an average price of $3.28 per pair.
The shoe industry remains one of the key industries in Whenzhou and shoe exports account for some 25% of the total exports for the area. Plastic injection shoes make up the majority of shoe exports, accounting for 67.8% of shoe exports and 22.96% of the regions total exports. In the period January to November, Whenzhou’s exports amounted to $4.127 billion.
Whenzhou currently exports shoes to 138 countries around the globe with its key export markets being the UUSA and EU. Exports to Russia, Ukraine, Spain, Germany and the USA amounted to $412.046 million – 40% of the total.
Another key shoe production area, Quanzhou in the Fujian province, reported similar success for the period January to November. Shoe exports increased by 33.83% compared with the same period in 2003. Customs officials also reported that the EU had surpassed the USA to become the main importer of shoes from the Quanzhou area.
