Chinese leather exports continue to rise
New figures released by the China leather industry association (CLIA) for the first six months of 2007 (January to June) report a further increase in the value of leather exports from the Asian giant, although it would appear that there is now an established trend towards aiming for higher value goods, particularly in the footwear sector.
In terms of volume, the country’s total shoe exports increased 9.7% to 4.29 billion pairs whilst leather footwear actually fell 2.2%. However, in terms of value, total footwear exports improved 18.3% to $11.46 billion, whilst, in spite of the drop in volume, the value of leather shoe exports rose 10.3% to $4.43 billion compared with the same period last year.
China also imported higher value and higher volumes of leather footwear during the six-month period at 4.3 million pairs worth $110 million, up 43.7% in terms of volume and 48.1% in terms of value. However, the chasm between unit prices still remains all too evident with the average unit price of imported leather shoes standing at $26.80, whilst the average price of exported leather footwear is only $6.80.
The move towards higher priced products is also evident in the leather goods sector with the value of luggage and bag exports reaching $4.07 billion, 22.5% higher than last year.
