Countries with the most important exports of leather shoes. Two Southeast Asian countries on the list

Global leather footwear export sales by country in 2017 totaled $52 billion. This dollar amount reflects a -6% decline in the worth of leather footwear exported in 2013, when international sales totaled $55.3 billion. Year-on-year, leather footwear exports declined by -6% from 2016 to 2017.

Among the continents, Asian countries accounted for the best dollar value of exported leather shoes, with shipments value $26.4 billion or 50.7% of the worldwide export sales of the commodity. European exporters followed closely behind, exporting goods value $23.3 billion or 44.8% of the worldwide total.

Smaller percentages got here from North America (1.7%), Latin America excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean (also 1.7%), Africa (1%), after which Oceania (0.1%).

Below is a listing of the 15 countries that exported the best dollar value of leather shoes in 2017:

1. China: USD 9.1 billion (17.4% of total leather footwear exports)
2. Italy: $7.7 billion (14.8%)
3. Vietnam: $6 billion (11.6%)
4. Germany: $3.3 billion (6.3%)
5. Indonesia: $2.6 billion (4.9%)
6. Portugal: $1.9 billion (3.7%)
7. France: $1.9 billion (3.6%)
8. Belgium: $1.8 billion (3.5%)
9. Netherlands: $1.7 billion (3.2%)
10. Spain: $1.7 billion (3.2%)
11. Hong Kong: $1.5 billion (3%)
12. India: $1.4 billion (2.7%)
13. UK: $1.2 billion (2.2%)
14. Cambodia: $720 million (1.4%)
15. Romania: $671.5 million (1.3%)

These 15 countries accounted for 82.9% of all leather footwear exports in 2017 (in value terms).

Of the above countries, the fastest growing exporters of leather footwear since 2013 were: Cambodia (up 261.8%), Vietnam (up 66.1%), Germany (up 24%), Indonesia (up 12.3%) and France (up 10.3%).

Among the countries that recorded a decline in exported leather footwear sales, the leaders were: Hong Kong (down 50.7%), India (down 28.8%), Romania (down 27.5%), China (down 22.7%) and Belgium (down 20.3%).

The following countries had the best positive net exports of leather shoes in 2017. Investopedia defines net exports as the worth of a rustic’s total exports minus the worth of its total imports. So the statistics below show the excess between each country’s export value of leather shoes and its import purchases for a similar commodity.

1. China: $7.6 billion (net export surplus down -27.2% since 2013)
2. Vietnam: $5.9 billion (63.5% increase)
3. Italy: $5 billion (-10.8% drop)
4. Indonesia: $2.5 billion (up 12.7%)
5. Portugal: $1.7 billion (-6.2% decrease)
6. India: $1.3 billion (-28.6% drop)
7. Cambodia: $717 million (up 261.5%)
8. Bangladesh: $619.2 million (up 105.3%)
9. Spain: $526.1 million (-30.5% decrease)
10. Romania: $431.4 million (-44.6% decrease)
11. Brazil: $377.3 million (-7.4% decrease)
12. Tunisia: $338.9 million (up 27.8%)
13. Dominican Republic: $265.7 million (76.1% increase)
14. Slovakia: $253.8 million (-37% decrease)
15. Thailand: $200.7 million (-17.6% drop)

China has the most important surplus in international trade in leather shoes. In turn, this positive money flow confirms China’s strong competitive advantage on this particular product category.

Research sources:
World Factor, Field List: Export – GoodsCentral Intelligence Agency. Accessed May 22, 2018.

Trade MapInternational Trade Centre. Accessed May 22, 2018.

Investopedia, Definition of net exports. Accessed May 22, 2018.

Wikipedia, Shoe corporations by country. Accessed May 22, 2018.

Zepol’s company summary by HTS code. Accessed May 22, 2018.