Italy tops Tunisia's leather & footwear export chart

08 Oct '11

2 min read

Italy, accounting for 46.8 percent of Tunisia's overall leather and footwear exports during the initial eight months of the current year, was the leading importer of leather and footwear items from Tunisia.

Backed by enhanced performance of the entire footwear chain, Tunisia's overall leather and footwear exports increased by 12.4 percent during the eight-month period to 708.5 million Tunisian dinars (MTD), compared to last year's corresponding period's exports worth 630.5 MTD, according to National Leather and Footwear Centre.

A 46.8 percent of the total leather and footwear exports amounting to 331.9 MTD were shipped to Italy. France was the second largest importer with a 30 percent share amounting to 212.8 MTD, while Germany stood third with a 10.8 percent share that totalled 76.3 MTD.

Exports to Spain, however, dropped by 20.3 percent during the January-August period, and that to Hong Kong by 3.2 percent from 6.2 MTD to 6 MTD. In spite of negative growth, Hong Kong was the fifth largest importer of leather and footwear items from Tunisia.

Exports to Cyprus grew three fold from 0.9 MTD in July to 2.6 MTD in August.

Tunisia's leather and footwear imports also grew by 7.2 percent to 444.3 MTD during the review period, over last year's corresponding period's imports worth 414.4 MTD.

Leather, accessories, components and fur skins mainly formed the import list, with leather topping the list, constituting 255.2 MTD of total imports, while accessories, and components and shoe uppers with a respective share of 79.9 MTD and 57.7 MTD stood second and third, respectively.

Italy also topped Tunisia's import chart and supplied leather and footwear items worth 205.8 MTD, accounting for 46.3 percent of Tunisia's overall imports, while France, Germany, Spain, China and India followed next with respective imports worth 104.1 MTD, 44.3 MTD, 16.9 MTD, 16.7 MTD and 13 MTD.

Tunisia's overall trade balance of leather and footwear was positive by 159.5 percent.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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