Bags / Shoes & Accessories

Despite the global economic crisis, in the first five months of 2022, Bangladesh's international trade exports of leather and leather products achieved a year-on-year growth of 17.56%, benefiting from the increase in buyer orders. According to the data of the Bangladesh Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), since July to November, the export volume of leather and its products in international trade has reached 537.5 million US dollars, compared with 456.85 million US dollars in the same period last year. Among them, the export income of leather shoes was 328.19 million yuan, up 17.55% year on year, while the income of leather products was 153.74 million yuan, up 26.89% year on year. The export value of leather international trade decreased by 1.61% to US $55.57 million.

Affected by the coronavirus epidemic, orders in 2020 and 2021 were reduced, and the leather industry was severely hit. Subsequently, production soon resumed. Importers transferred orders to Bangladesh, and the international trade export of leather and its products and footwear products hit a new high of US $1.25 billion. In addition, the export volume of leather products and shoes continued to rise due to the sharp increase in demand in winter and before Christmas.

Nasir Khan, general manager of Janis Shoes, a footwear exporter, said that it was still uncertain whether the current export growth trend would continue until the end of this fiscal year, because the global economic crisis triggered by the Russian-Uzbekistan conflict did not end in the short term. Although the export business has increased, it is still lower than expected.

Nasir Khan said: "The coordination capacity of the leather industry is insufficient, and the enterprises cannot get the raw materials and accessories required on time, resulting in the failure to deliver on time."

The vice chairman of the Bangladesh Leather Products and Footwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association said that although the EPB data showed that the export performance of footwear and leather products was good, the situation of manufacturers was not optimistic. Due to the increasing global demand for low-cost synthetic shoes, the export of non-leather leather shoes in international trade grew strongly. According to a study, the global synthetic leather market is expected to reach US $66.84 billion by 2030, with an average annual growth of 8%.