Pakistan Footwear Industry

Pak Foot Wear - Pakistan Footwear Industry

Introduction

Pakistan is a fascinating land, rich in natural resources with a strong agricultural base. Its farmlands are excellent grazing grounds for the high quality livestock it breeds. Pakistan Tanning Industry is well established and produces high quality finished leather from hides as well as skins. Pakistan has inherited centuries old craftsmanship of shoe making and its popular brands like Khussas, a hand crafted footwear with thick leather used in uppers and soles and special stitching process, is still exported in huge quantities. The time-honoured efficient skills have been blended with most modern technology to produce highly attractive styles, designs and shapes that are comfortable and durable and have great universal appeal.

PRODUCT RANGE & CAPACITY

Pakistan produces a wide range of footwear to cater for the needs of a variety of customers – -men and women, boys and girls, pedestrians and joggers, business executives and bureaucrats, office goers and hawkers, squash and hockey players, cricketers and footballers, mountaineers and foresters, policemen and soldiers, specially designed footwear for the disabled, in fact, all those who need footwear according to their choice and special requirements. The large variety of Pakistan made footwear is really impressive. The population of Pakistan is about 200 million and taking average of 2 pairs per person per year, the total production comes to 400 million pairs per year. The Cottage Industry supplies bulk of the domestic needs according to the changing designs and tastes round the year, whereas, export needs are fulfilled by the organized / mechanized sector. Many factories have a production capacity of 2,500 pairs per day, while the larger units produce as much as 10,000 pairs per day. It includes leather, textile and synthetic shoes. Bulk of the exports, about 80% are of leather shoes in the medium price range of 9-12 US Dollars and are very competitive in the international market. The total exports of such shoes during year 2012-13 were 105 Million US Dollars and during year 2014 – 15 it remained 131.2 Million US Dollars..

QUALITY ASSURANCE

The footwear industry in Pakistan spares no efforts to maintain highest quality in its production which has helped it retain consumer confidence. All raw materials, ingredients and chemicals undergo analysis and physical tests in accredited laboratories. Large industries engage their own technologists to carryout regular inspections while smaller units are specially fastidious in choice of their raw materials and components for the fancy and ornamented footwears that they offer. They approach companies like SGS, CTC & National Leather Institute to avail their testing facilities. Moreover, most of the units engaged in exports are ISO-9000 qualified. The industry is in constant touch with the developments occurring in the modern footwear technology and technical know-how, especially in Europe. More recently, Pakistani footwear manufacturers have benefited from the latest designs and patterns developed in Italy and other western countries, and by using their own innovative skills, have evolved new and trendy patterns of the footwear.

EXPORTS

Pakistan exports footwear to more than 60 countries in five continents of the world. Its major exports are to UK, France, Netherlands & Germany in Europe and Dubai, Saudi Arabia & Yemen in the Middle East. Pakistan’s exports of footwear have registered a high rate of growth in the recent past. It has gone up by 250% of what it was few years ago.

INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES

Superb communication facilities of transportation are available in the country by road / rail / air network. We have fully developed seaports like Karachi & Port Qasim, while Gawadar seaport is going to be in full swing very soon. Bulk supplies take only three weeks time to be delivered in Europe by sea route. Islamabad, Lahore & Karachi international airports handle all types of cargo. Many cities are linked with dry ports facilitating cargo shipments. Modern telecommunication facilities are available down to small towns.

GOVERNMENT POLICIES

Government policies are business friendly encouraging both production and exports. Temporary imports for re-export purposes are allowed while machinery and many raw materials can be imported at nominal import duties. Trade Development Authority, Government of Pakistan facilitates our participation in international footwear exhibitions in different countries, helping in promotion of our exports.
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