Trade

Pakistan: footwear exports grow while leather exports decline

Jun 14, 2023 Pakistan

According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), Pakistani footwear exports grew consistently from July 2022 to April 2023, while leather exports continue their downward trajectory

In the first ten months of the current fiscal year*, leather manufacturers' exports amounted to 484.1 million US dollars, which reflects a decline of 6.08% from the same period of the prior fiscal year. In addition, Pakistani exports shipped 8 842 square metres of finished leather in this ten-month period, generating 140.8 million US dollars, down by 30.56% in volume and by 18.48% in value, on a comparable basis to the same months of fiscal 2021-2022.

Footwear

Overall, from July 2022 to April 2023, Pakistan exported 21.70 million pairs of shoes, worth 148.4 million US dollars. These figures indicate a 38.49% increase in volume and a 14.08% growth in value, as compared to a similar period in the previous fiscal year.

In particular, the Asian country shipped 8.58 million pairs of leather shoes in this ten-month period, generating 117.6 million US dollars, up by 29.75% in volume and by 14.43% in value, on a comparable basis to the same period of fiscal 2021-2022. This segment accounted for roughly 79% of footwear's total exports.

The other footwear segment also performed well, exporting in this period 13.0 million pairs of shoes, worth 29.91 million US dollars, up by 45.69% and 13.66% in volume and value, respectively, from the same period of the last fiscal year. Meanwhile, the canvas footwear segment recorded a decline of 11.44% in volume and 10.69% in value, as compared to the same period of fiscal 2021-2022.

Pakistani Footwear Industry

According to the World Footwear 2022 Yearbook (more information available HERE), Pakistan's footwear industry is the 7th largest in the world, employing about one million people in the country. Focused primarily on the domestic market, its main destination markets are the US and some European and Arab countries. China is Pakistan's main supplier.

*Pakistan's fiscal year runs from July to June.

Image Credits: hasham shabbir on Unsplash

Pakistan Exports Footwear International Trade Leather