Shoes and Accessories - November 2016

China’s total footwear sales abroad in the first six months have declined. The decrease in value terms was accompanied by a decline in volume of exports. Worth being noted is the performance in the US. During the first semester of 2016, the US bought 861.2 million pairs of shoes from China valued at 5.6 billion US dollars. This represents a decline of 15.56% from similar period last year.

The United States, the world’s largest footwear importer, registered a 6% decline in footwear imports in the first half of the year, both in volume and value. The US held a 20.8% share in the world’s imports of footwear (for more information follow this link) which makes it the largest footwear importer in the world and an important player to follow when trying to understand the global imports performance.

The report has emerged at a time when major political developments have unfolded in the major markets of the world. Post Brexit, many are still unsure how things will shape in the UK as well as in EU. Added to this is the new threat the US election results pose to TPP.

Though TPP is still a controversial matter, several global leaders actually threw their weight behind it and it was beginning to take shape. But the emergence of Donald Trump as new political leader leaves many guessing if he will really scrap it, favouring companies like New Balance. It was more for the political association than its views on TPP New Balance has faced the wrath of several Americans.

It is certain that there is a need for economies to rethink their policies and for brands to remain prepared.