The opportunities presented to US tanneries by Vietnam’s expanding footwear industry are detailed in a comprehensive market report, produced by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Running to nine pages, the report paints a picture of a rapidly expanding market for tanned leather, driven by the burgeoning demand for Vietnamese-produced footwear in Europe, the USA and Japan. In 1999, the country consumed approximately 80 million square feet of leather, and produced in the region of 230 million pairs of shoes and sandals, of which 80% was exported. In fact, footwear is now Vietnam’s fifth-largest export earner, with exports for 2000 are estimated to be 265 million pairs.

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