The export volume of made-in-China shoes grew 14.8 percent year on year to 19.08 billion U.S. dollars in the January-November period of 2006, down 12 percentage points from the same period of 2005.

In the 11-month period, China exported 6.97 billion pairs of shoes, up 11 percent but down seven percentage points from January-November of 2005, according to the latest figures released by the China Leather Industry Association (CLIA).

"The decline in shoe exports is mainly the result of the European Union's anti-dumping accusations," said Su Chaoying, secretary general of the CLIA.

In fact, he said, the entire leather industry had slowed down in 2006 due to anti-dumping accusations, cancelled orders, fewer export incentives, the appreciation of the Renminbi and other factors.

CLIA statistics show that the sales volume of China's major leather firms grew 21 percent to 328.6 billion yuan (42.1 billion U.S. dollars) in the first 11 months of 2006, down four percentage points year on year. Meanwhile, the export volume of these firms grew 7.4 percent to 31.78 billion U.S. dollars, down 12 percentage points.

During the same period, however, China's imports of leather and leather products reached 4.49 billion U.S. dollars, up 18.8 percent or 12 percentage points on the same period of 2005.

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