China is the country that pays more expensive by Portuguese shoes - Mad Money

Portugal is now the seventh supplier of the Asian giant, with exports of 20 million euros last year

Shoes Portuguese successfully in China class=”georgia txt11 i”> Gerardo Santos

03.01.2014 | 18:27 | Mad Money

Portuguese footwear industry is betting on strength in China, a market of millions of consumers in 1300. Portugal is now the seventh supplier of the Asian giant and the goal is by the end of next year, amount to the top 5. Last year alone, domestic exports grew 144% and China is the country where the Portuguese manufacturers sell the most expensive footwear.

“Nothing happens by chance. Eight years ago that the industry invests in this market, and this year, there are already 15 companies will participate in six fairs in China. The results eventually arise, but are the result of a long work, many trips to prospect to choose the best fairs and the best commercially “, says Paulo Gonçalves, Director of Communication of the Portuguese Association of Manufacturers of Footwear, Components, Products skin and its substitutes (APICCAPS).

Six million euros were direct exports of Portuguese footwear industry for the Chinese market in 2013. Adding indirect sales – who left Portugal to another country in Europe and thence to China – the figures give a stride to EUR 20 million

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And if, on average, a pair of shoes Portuguese is exported to 23 euros – the second highest in the world – the truth is that, in exports to China, the price rises to 32 euros a pair, already very close to that charged by the Italian footwear, the most expensive in the world, which is around 35 euros the pair. Why is this appreciation of the domestic footwear in a country which is both the largest consumer and also the largest global manufacturer of footwear

Paulo Gonçalves ensures that the “fact that we Europeans makes all the difference”, in China or countries like Japan, Russia, Canada or the USA. Is the image quality of the products manufactured and a unique design. It is also why, while it is assumed as “the sexiest industry in Europe”, the footwear plans to invest this year and in 2015, more than € 20 million in shares of international promotion.

Tracking the highlight of footwear fairs worldwide, in March and September, APICCAPS will put even during these two months, 20 advertisements of national industry in Fashion TV. “Only in Portugal next month will be 20 trade [shoe] around the world,” says Paulo Gonçalves, explaining that the aim is to reach “more than one hundred thousand importers” which then will be traveling. We want to make this “the most sophisticated worldwide” industry.

With over 1,350 businesses and 35,000 jobs in the Portuguese footwear industry back in 2013, the maximum hit export, exceeding 1700 million euro. And if it is true that European markets remain the major destination of sales in the sector (87%), the “great driving force” of industry growth is in overseas markets, whose weight has gone, the last two years, 8% for 13% of total exports.