The organisers of International Leather Week, Madrid, Spain, have quoted recent foreign trade figures to point to developments on the Spanish footwear and leather sectors.

The footwear industry seems to be coping with the falling demand from its main export markets like Germany, the USA and Japan, who had been switching to lower-price goods, mainly in Asia. The balance of trade continues to be favourable compared to 2003, featuring a surplus of nearly 1,000 million euros and a coverage rate of 190.30%. In 2003 exports reached 126.8 million pairs and the value of 1,919.92 million euros. These figures represent a drop in exports of 7.30% in volume and 9.38% in value.  Imports have, however, reached 131.2 million pairs, with a significant increase of 25.9% in volume and 21.6% in value. The average price of imports stands at 7.69 euros per pair, representing a decrease of 3.42% compared to the same period last year.

Share this story: