HÀ NỘI — A footwear and leather export promotion conference, themed “Increasing business and export capacity for Vietnamese footwear and leather enterprises,” will be organised on March 15 in HCM City.

The information was released on Friday by the Việt Nam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (Lefaso), which said this would be an opportunity for the Vietnamese footwear sector in general and Lefaso in particular to promote images and improve prestige and positions in the Asian region and the world.

The conference will also give an opportunity for local businesses to meet and share experiences with local partners, approach foreign importers and investors and seek co-operation agreements.

Some 300 firms manufacturing footwear and materials for the industry inside and outside Việt Nam are expected to participate in the conference, which will focus on issues such as footwear planning and related policies, investment environment, impact of free trade deal on the sector, labour relationship management in the labour-intensive sector, and supply chain optimisation to boost competition and sustainable development.

They will also discuss the state of the industry in Việt Nam in the context of integration, market demand and technical requirements for the industry to benefit from free trade deals.

Việt Nam’s leather and footwear industry expects to reach a total export value of US$18 billion this year, up 10 per cent from last year, the association said.

In 2016, the sector earned an export revenue of $16.2 billion, representing an year-on-year increase of 8.8 per cent. Of which, $13 billion came from footwear and the remaining was from handbags and leather items, marking respective annual rises of 8.2 per cent and 11.1 per cent. — VNS