Zhejiang shoe exports were counterattacked

As the Brazilian government’s punitive tariff targets have been extended from the original finished shoes to semi-finished footwear and accessories, for the majority of Zhejiang shoe suppliers, Brazil’s emerging market emerging from the second half of last year “charm Lost."

This year's footwear exports are growing rapidly. Mr. Jin, who has been operating for many years in Wenzhou Hetong Bridge shoe material market, has two small shoe material processing plants. He told reporters that although the proportion of orders from Brazil in the total sales is not large, the recent growth momentum is still good. "We have done a list of nearly $1 million this year, more than the total amount added in the previous two years."

Mr. Jin’s long-standing Brazilian orders are also a microcosm of the situation of the Zhejiang shoe market for Brazilian exports. Statistics from Hangzhou Customs show that from January to May this year, the total amount of Zhejiang shoe exports to Brazil was only 11.332 million US dollars, but it has increased by 31.4 times compared with the same period of last year, of which 99% of the exports were in Wenzhou. .

However, today's fiery situation has lost the possibility of surging plains. It is understood that in October 2011, the Brazilian government received complaints from the local footwear industry association, and began anti-dumping investigations on imported Chinese shoes. After 9 months of investigation, the Brazilian Ministry of Industry and Trade determined that the import volume of China's shoe parts has greatly increased, which has offset the anti-dumping effect of the original Chinese shoes. In addition, the Brazilian Ministry of Industry and Trade also believes that China's footwear imports account for more than 60% of the raw materials used in the footwear industry, while the added value in the industrial production process is less than 25%. For this reason, it decided to implement anti-circumvention measures on Chinese shoes.

“We were still thinking about how to expand the Brazilian market last month. Now, when we look at this announcement, the enthusiasm is directly cool from the head to the feet.” Mr. Jin reluctantly stated that if he added 182% surtax, his own The product will not be competitive in the Brazilian market. As to whether he would appeal the defense, Mr. Kim admitted frankly that he would not, "It is not worthwhile."

It was also learned that in addition to anti-dumping investigations on imported Chinese shoe materials, the Brazilian Trade Protection Agency also conducted anti-dumping investigations on Chinese shoe parts used on imported shoes from Indonesia and Vietnam.

Leather shoes have been exported to Pakistan. In fact, most Zhejiang shoe companies have already given up this market in Brazil. Hangzhou Customs statistics show that from January to May this year, Zhejiang leather footwear exports to Brazil are zero.

Song Yiguo, a member of the National Footwear Professionals Group and Director of the Textiles and Textiles Division of Wenzhou Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, told reporters that the main reasons leading to the zero export of leather shoes to Pakistan are twofold. The most important one is the escalating anti-dumping investigation.

The value of Wenzhou shoes exported to Brazil reached a record high value of more than 23 million U.S. dollars in 2008, but it fell sharply after anti-dumping investigations. After Brazil imposed anti-dumping duties of US$13.85 per pair of footwear imported from China in 2010, the export situation was even more catastrophic. "Each pair of leather shoes will have to increase the customs duty of nearly 100 yuan, and where there is a market. We have been gradually exiting the Brazilian market since then," said a person in charge of a shoe company in Lucheng. In the past, more than half of the footwear products exported to Brazil from Wenzhou came from the company.

The Brazilian government also stipulates that Chinese-made leather shoes must be approved in advance before entering the Brazilian market. The approval process may take up to 60 days. In addition, the Brazilian government imposed an additional tariff on footwear products from China starting from March last year, which will cost US$13.85 per pair of shoes. The unit price of ordinary export shoes is less than half of the tariff. "60 days of approval time is enough to make the shoes season." Song Yiguo said.

"Zhejiang footwear products have encountered no anti-dumping. However, anti-dumping investigations on shoe materials have been heard for the first time." said Zhang Yong, director of the Fair Trade Bureau of Zhejiang Trade and Commerce Department. In his opinion, Brazil's anti-dumping measures against China's shoe materials are tantamount to "aggravating the situation" for the already fragile state of Zhejiang footwear exports to Pakistan. "Even if Zhejiang shoe companies want to handle processing in Brazil, The way the factory expands the local market will also inevitably lead to the import of shoe materials in the Chinese mainland. This measure of the Brazilian government has also blocked this 'going out' approach."