However, Romania remains one of the leading footwear manufacturers in the world, among the top 20 by export value. China is the undisputed leader with $45 billion exports, followed by Vietnam, $18 billion.
“The Romanian footwear industry is one of the largest in the European Union involving close to 50,000 workers. Its exports, half of which go to the Italian market, have stalled at around $1 billion over the last two years,” World Footwear analysts say in their 2017 report, the latest available.
The ‘made in Romania’ shoes mostly go to Western European markets, and Italy is the biggest destination, absorbing almost half of the total export value and volume.
Romania exported 47 million pairs of shoes worth $1.07 billion last year. Almost 22 million pairs of shoes worth $529 million went to Italy. The dependence on Italy, a country known as both a manufacturer and major consumer has lessened in recent years, although the country remains Romania’s main trade partner on this segment.
The other important destinations are Austria, Germany, Slovakia and France. The top five destinations for Romanian-made footwear account for almost 85% of the export value. Austria surged in the ranking followed by Germany.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)