According to official data released by the China Leather Industry Association (CLIA), China’s footwear sector recorded a decline in both export quantity and value during the first quarter of 2026.
From January to March 2026, China exported 2.10 billion pairs of footwear, down 2.5% year-on-year in quantity. Export value reached $9.42 billion, marking a sharper decline of 8.0% compared to the same period last year.
Footwear imports also declined during the period.
China imported 38.9 million pairs of footwear in the first quarter of 2026. The import value stood at $1.31 billion, while import quantity and value fell by 20.4% and 2.8% respectively year-on-year.
Among different footwear categories, leather shoes showed mixed performance.
Exports of leather shoes reached 120 million pairs from January to March 2026, increasing 9.9% year-on-year in quantity. However, export value fell 9.9% to $1.56 billion during the same period.
Imports of leather shoes stood at 10.4 million pairs in quantity and $530 million in value. Compared to the previous year, import quantity declined 18.4% while import value dropped 5.6%.
China’s leather industry, which includes the leather, footwear, leather garments, bags and cases sectors, reported exports worth $19.05 billion from January to March 2026, the first quarter of 2026, down 4.22% year-on-year. Imports stood at $3.87 billion during the same period, rising 4.6%.
