Vietnam Shoemakers Try US Market when Vietnam Joins WTO

According to the Viet Nam Trade Promotion Agency, footwear companies have been urged to increase exports to the US after Vietnam becomes an official member of the WTO.

The Viet Nam Trade Promotion Agency and the Viet Nam Leather Footwear Association (Lefaso) said that sport shoes, leather shoes and slippers would be strong export lines to the US.

The US had become a potential import market for Vietnamese leather products in the last four years, according to Lefaso secretary general Nguyen Thi Tong.

Exports of leather shoes from Vietnam to the US reached US600 million in 2005, an increase of 25% as compared to 2004.

As affected by the anti-dumping tariffs imposed by the EU on Vietnam footwear, there was a slight fall in footwear exports to the EU. Meanwhile, leather shoe uppers to the US had reached US30m in the last 11 months, three times that in the same period last year.

Source: www.shoemap.com

Date: 14 Dec, 2006