A foreign buyer checks shoes at a stall. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_ab3dabbeb229]
The 26th China (Wenzhou) International Leather, Shoe Materials and Shoe Machinery Exhibition opened on July 2 at the Wenzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center in the city of Wenzhou in East China's Zhejiang province.
More than 700 leather, shoe material, shoe machinery and sewing equipment companies as well as around 10,000 buyers from both domestic and international regions are participating in the event, local media reported.
The exhibition covers a total area of over 50,000 square meters, with over 700 companies from Wenzhou and other provinces including Fujian and Guangdong participating.
For the first time, the exhibition designated Uzbekistan as a guest of honor, with nearly 30 leather companies from Uzbekistan organized by the Uzbekistan Leather Industry Association joining the exhibition. It is also the first time since the outbreak of COVID-19 that the Uzbekistan leather industry has organized a delegation to exhibit in China.
Additionally, purchasing groups and businessmen from Sri Lanka, South Korea, India, Turkey, the United States, Italy, Russia, Mexico, Brazil, Pakistan, Indonesia, Vietnam, the ASEAN, Egypt, Iran, Bangladesh, Africa, and other countries have come to Wenzhou to visit and make purchases.
As the "Shoe Capital of China," Wenzhou is home to more than 5,000 shoe manufacturing companies, involving more than 500,000 workers in the sector.
In 2022, the production of footwear in Wenzhou exceeded 1.8 billion pairs, with exports reaching over 30 billion yuan ($4.15 billion).
Foreign buyers check shoe-making machinery at a stall. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_ab3dabbeb229]
