Imports of footwear from China decline by 33% in the Czech Republic

2010-02-23

Last year the Czech Republic imported 100 million pairs of shoes from China, which represents a decline of one third compared to figures in 2008 and was the first decline for several years. Until then, footwear imports from China have been on the increase; in 2005 it stood at 58.6 million pairs, a year later it was 86 million pairs and in 2008 imports hit the record of 143.6 million pairs of footwear, according to Hospodarske Noviny.
The total imports of footwear to the Czech Republic declined from 161 million pairs in 2008 to 115 million pairs in 2009. To compare, domestic footwear production fell by one tenth to 4.5 million pairs.
The average per capita usage of footwear in the Czech Republic stands at eight pairs annually, according to Vlasta Mayer from the Czech Association of Shoes and Leather. However, the Czech Footwear and Leather Association (CFLA) estimates it as lower, at four pairs.