Joana Vaz Teixeira_World Footwear: I am here in Shanghai with Lu Hua. He is the Deputy Secretary General of CLIA, and I am going to be talking with him about China and about the UITIC Congress. Thanks for being here with me, Lu Hua.

Lu Hua_CLIA: Thank you, Joana.

Joana Vaz Teixeira_World Footwear:  What can you tell us about the footwear industry in China, at the moment?

Lu Hua_CLIA: As we all know, China is a huge footwear market. We are one of the largest footwear producers, exporters, and also importers in the world. I want to share with you some figures for how the industry is going in the first half of this year. As we all know, in recent years, the global economy and the global footwear industry have not been as good as before. So, in the first half, the exports of Chinese footwear declined by 6% in terms of value, calculated in US dollars, and the domestic sales increased by3% in terms of value, and the import value increased slightly, by 1%. So, you can see that the domestic market is still growing compared to exports and compared to imports. So, I think that the domestic Chinese market is not only an opportunity for the local brands but also for the brands around the world. Any brands or companies that are interested in the Chinese market can contact CLIA for more information. It will be my pleasure to answer your questions and help them enter the Chinese market.

Joana Vaz Teixeira_World Footwear:  Thanks for sharing that information about the dynamics of the Chinese market. We are here in Shanghai for the UITIC Congress. It has been quite a few full days with visits to factories, discussions, conversations, and presentations. So, as a kind of summary, what can you tell us about the importance of organising this Congress here in China, in your view? What was the importance of this event for you?

Lu Hua_CLIA: Thanks for the question. As the (UITIC) president said, it is the second time that the UITIC Congress has been held in China, (being back) after 12 years. So, the first Congress held in China was back in 2013, and now it is the second time. I think it is a good platform, not only for the Chinese footwear industry, but also for the global industry. The Congress brings together the latest innovations from China, from Europe, and also from North America. From all around the world, all participants can learn about the latest trends in technical fields, and they can communicate with all the speakers, all the authors of the posters (presentations). Also, we arranged two days of factory visits, two days of indoor conference, and we will all visit All China Leather Days Exhibition and Moda China Fashion Exhibition today. So, we had at least four days together, and we have had enough time to communicate and talk about the future of the industry. So, I think it is a great platform.

Joana Vaz Teixeira_World Footwear: Thank you Lu Hua. Thank you very much for being here with us.

Lu Hua_CLIA: Thank you Joana.

Joana Vaz Teixeira_World Footwear:  These were the latest news from China and the latest updates from the UITIC Congress. Stay connected to us to hear and read more about the footwear industry.