Prospect of increased footwear export to Japan bright

Japan's footwear market is alluring Bangladeshi exporters as Bangladeshi footwear's demand is increasing sharply in Japan.

Officials and experts said the export could reach $150 million by 2012, if time-bound steps were taken.

According to the Export Promotion Bureau, the country exported footwear worth $37 million to Japan from January to July this year, which was one fourth of the total footwear export by the time and it witnessed a 20 per cent growth compared to last year.

A high official of the commerce ministry said: "The export is increasing and the possibility to enhance export to Japan has become bright following continual labour unrest and rise in production cost in China and many other leather exporting countries. These have forced many Japanese buyers to eye other markets like Bangladesh".

"We should take this opportunity as we have a favourable atmosphere in the leather sector and our footwear's quality is undoubtedly world-class", he said adding: "But we have to work hard to maintain a firm footing in the $5.0 billion Japanese footwear market".

"We need to maximise the value addition to enhance export", the official suggested.

President of Bangladesh Leather and Footwear Manufacturers and Exporters' Association Saiful Islam said they are expecting a 50 per cent growth by June 2011.

"Usually some chain superstores or brands like Takashima, ABC Mart, Logic and some retailers of Japan used to buy footwear from us, but many new importers were coming and showing interest in buying Bangladeshi footwear in last one and a half year", said Saiful.

He said optimistically that very soon they would be able to link with the giant Japanese super chains like Uniqlo and Muji, which could boost the export to above $150 million by the beginning of 2012.

Leather expert of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) Jalal Uddin Ahmed said, "Considering the situation our testing laboratories and design laboratories should be internationally standardised and the import duty on shoe equipment, which are not locally available, should be made easier for footwear exporters".

He said the laboratory of The College of Leather Technology and Engineering is accredited by the International Standardisation Organisation (ISO) and it can examine all organic or physical complexities related to leather and leather goods and the footwear industry should get benefit from the facilities available these.

According to a base-line survey conducted by Bangladesh Leather Service Centre (BLSC), there are about 1809 enterprises dealing in footwear and 136 dealing in other leather goods in the country.

Out of them, about 40 to 45 are fully mechanised footwear plants which have their own sources of upper leather and many of them have also the facilities of manufacturing sole materials like TPR, NR,ABS etc.

The country exports footwear to Japan, Middle-East, South Africa and other states.