The meeting on July 12 between two of the world’stop three footwear producers was organised by the Indian consulate in HCM Cityand the Vietnam Leather Footwear and Handbag Association (LEFASO) in HCM City.
The visitors, led by India’s Council for LeatherExport, became acquainted with their Vietnamese counterparts and showcasedtheir products as they sought potential partners.
Diep Thanh Kiet, deputy chairman of LEFASO, saidVietnam’s exports of footwear and handbags were worth 17.96 billion USD last year,and this year’s target is 19.5 billion USD.
The country is the second largest exporter offootwear in the world, he said.
Vietnam imported around 92 million USD worth ofleather from India last year, or 5 percent of its total leather imports. Itplans to import 115 million USD worth this year.
Dr K Srikar Reddy, the Indian consul general inHCM City, said: “Indian companies’ interest in investing in and cooperatingwith Vietnam is constantly rising.”
Leather is one of India’s major industries. It isthe fifth largest exporter of leather, accounting for almost 13 percent of theworld’s output.
According to India’s Ministry of Commerce andIndustry, the country imported around 121.63 million USDworth of footwear andother leather goods from Vietnam from April 2017 to March 2018.
Vietnam imports around 60 percent of the leatherit requires for footwear production, which offers potential for strengtheningthe partnership between the two countries, Reddy said. – VNA