Dongguan shoe enterprises adjust export strategy in time

Earlier this year, the author learned from the China Leather Association that Dongguan's shoemaking enterprises are planning to go northward. In September of this year, Dongguan shoe-making enterprises organized a delegation to participate in the China International Leather Exhibition held in Shanghai to expand the radiation power of industrial clusters in Dongguan. This move has also been interpreted by the outside world as a "shoe-making capital" out of the bottom of the industry a breakthrough.

The China International Leather Fair, held in Pudong, Shanghai on September 4th this year, was jointly organized by the China Leather Association and Asia Pacific Leather Fair Co., Ltd. It is currently the largest professional exhibition for leather, shoes and bags in Asia. After 15 years of development, this exhibition has become a barometer for the Chinese leather and footwear industry. Every year, many shoe-making companies from home and abroad are attracted to participate in the exhibition. Some international large shoe companies will also use this platform to select Chinese partners.

According to Nie Yumei, the deputy secretary-general of the China Leather Association, as a major province of China's footwear industry, the footwear industry in Guangdong has continued to consolidate its dominant position in the manufacturing sector in recent years. In particular, export-oriented shoe companies in Dongguan have developed rapidly. After the completion of the industry's initial accumulation, companies in the upstream of the material have a strong desire to actively expand the international market. Despite the severe shrinkage of the international trade environment in recent years, the export of the footwear industry that meets the needs of overseas consumers “wears” is still eye-catching. At present, there are a number of Dongguan shoe companies and shoe materials companies collectively participating in the "industrial cluster" approach, hoping to further expand overseas business opportunities.

“In recent years, shoe companies have been under pressure, foreign trade orders have been reduced, and the overstimulation in the domestic market has caused pressure on everyone’s inventory. Coupled with the continuous rise in the exchange rate, raw material prices, and labor costs, the shoe business is not doing well. “Wang Zhuolang, deputy secretary-general of the Dongguan Leather Footwear Association, said in an interview yesterday that there are companies around him who have closed down due to poor market conditions, but the collapse has been an isolated phenomenon and has not become a trend. After all, shoes are a product that meets people's needs for everyday wear. The confidence of companies to continue to do so is still very strong. Especially since the end of last year, Dongguan shoe exports have changed significantly.

According to statistics, in the first quarter of this year, Dongguan's foreign trade import and export volume was US$32.78 billion, an increase of 6.8% year-on-year, of which exports were US$19.34 billion, a year-on-year increase of 9.1%, and an increase of about two percentage points from the same period last year. In the export category of industrial products, the export situation of Dongguan footwear products is also commendable.

Wang Zhuoliang said that in the face of the increasingly complex international trade situation, there have been some positive changes in Dongguan shoe companies, many of which actively take notice of the international market trends, in order to consolidate old customers in Europe and America, timely adjustment of export strategy, plus Larger customers in emerging markets such as Japan, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Last October, the Dongguan Leather Footwear Association also organized more than 20 shoe companies in the form of “factory stores” to set up an internal sales platform in Houjie Town to help companies expand their domestic market based on their own brands.