A total of $82 million worth of different types of footwear were exported from Iran during the current Iranian year’s first 11 months (March 21, 2021-Feb. 19, 2022), registering a 20% decline compared with the similar period of last year, according to a member of the Association of Managers and Experts of Iran’s Shoe Industry.
“Footwear exports stood at close to $105 million in fiscal 2020-21,” Ali Lashgari was also quoted as saying by IRNA.
According to the official, Iran’s footwear market is valued at $2 billion per year.
“Over the past few years and after the reimposition of economic sanctions, local producers managed to increase their market share from 75% to 95% last year,” he added.
Noting that between 2013 and 2021, the average price of imported footwear into Iran was $3 per pair, he said cheap imports have caused harm to the domestic industry as local producers mostly aim to make shoes costing around the same $3.
“The cheap imports mainly coming from China and the UAE rob local businesses of sales opportunities,” he said.
There are 12,000 producers of footwear, leather and bags in Iran, which have created direct jobs for more than 500,000 people.
Mohammad Reza Davarpanah, a member of Producers and Exporters of Synthetic Leather Association, said 85% of raw materials for footwear production is procured domestically and 95% of the required machinery are manufactured inside the country.
In the fiscal 2018-19, imports of 1,400 types of commodities were banned to support local producers of these goods. Footwear and bags were among this long list.