This report describes the evolution of footwear trade worldwide in the first semester of 2020, using the data available as of September 2020. The figures presented, both for the current and previous years, correspond only to the countries that had reported their trade statistics by that date. This leaves out some important players in the footwear trade scene, particularly some important Asian exporters but, in the previous year, the countries included in the report accounted for more than 90% of all footwear trade.

Footwear exports worldwide fell by 17 billion dollars (31.1%) in the first semester of 2020. The world’s largest footwear exporter (China) and importer (USA) were particularly hit. Leather footwear exports fell some 7 billion dollars (-32.7%), compared with the same period of the previous year, the largest loss by category of product.

The situation deteriorated continuously in the first months of the year, reaching its lowest in April, when exports were only 42% of January’s. In the following two months, there was a significant recovery but, by June, exports were still less than 80% than in January. Most countries’ individual evolution does not deviate much from these general patterns.

Executive Summary

The Global Situation

Selected Exporters

Selected Importers