Vietnamese footwear market share in the US has increased nearly six times, from 0.86 percent in 2000 to 4.2 percent in 2005. Vietnam has passed Thailand, Mexico and Indonesia to become the world’s fourth largest footwear provider to the US.

The country’s footwear export value to the US reached US$717 million in 2005, representing year-on-year increase of 51.59 percent. The US mainly imports Vietnamese non-rubber and rubber-plastic shoes.

It is forecast that the demand for imported footwear in the US will increase in the next few years, creating favourable conditions for Vietnam to boost footwear exports.

*** The Vietnam Women Union has sent a letter to EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson calling for EC goodwill to resolve the Vietnamese leather-capped shoe dumping lawsuit in the EU.

On behalf of more than 13 Vietnam Women Union Chapters across the country, the letter urged the EC to consider the lawsuit fairly and reasonably in order to not affect the lives of female labourers in the footwear sector, as well as social development programmes that the EU is helping Vietnam to implement.