The leather and footwear industry in Guanajuato expects a 5% recovery in 2025, an expectation that comes after a period marked by a 15% reduction in the value of the GDP, physical volume of industrial activity and employed personnel; “we have a slide in the numbers” starting in September 2023 and during 2024, Mauricio Battaglia, president of the Chamber of the Footwear Industry of the State of Guanajuato (CICEG), told El Economista.
Among the factors that will contribute to the recovery is the increase in tariffs on footwear imports, which went from 25 to 35% in April 2024. Additionally, on September 30, as a result of an antidumping investigation, a preliminary measure of compensatory quotas on footwear imports originating in China was published.
As well as the regulations of the Tax Administration System (SAT) on imports via courier companies that represented up to 300 million packages a year; “these measures offer us hope for 2025, to compete on fairer terms, since they put a stop to unfair imports that had flooded the market and were not paying a penny in taxes,” the businessman explained.
During the presentation of the 92nd edition of the Leather and Footwear Show (Sapica), he pointed out that the fall in the leather and footwear sector resulted in the loss of 6,400 jobs in Guanajuato, an entity with a strong social and economic presence, since it concentrates production at a national level.
León and the metropolitan area of San Francisco del Rincón and Purísima del Rincón concentrate “only in the manufacturing sector 120,000 jobs in 6,000 active economic units,” the interviewee continued.
The sector is mainly distributed in small and medium-sized companies, which is why, in line with the Mexico Plan, the aim is to strengthen the value chain, increasing the regional content of footwear manufactured in Mexico, reducing the dependence on imported inputs.
Guanajuato estimates that it will recover around 3,000 jobs in 2025 in this industry. “With the measures that have already been taken and those to come,” in the long term the sector aims for an annual expansion of 5%, at a national level. “We are working with the Ministry of Economy in development poles to allow the diversification of production in other areas and improve competitiveness in the national and international market.”
Sapica is renewed
Sapica, the international footwear fair, will be held from March 4 to 6, 2025 in León, Guanajuato, and will feature the participation of 380 companies that will exhibit more than 2,000 footwear brands, conferences and training focused on the challenges and opportunities in the fashion industry, including Artificial Intelligence.
The attendance of 2,100 national and international buyers from the United States, Canada and various Latin American countries is expected. “Transactions carried out during and after the event will reach 1,000 million pesos,” said Battaglia.
As for the economic impact, a figure of 41 million pesos is projected for services, “outside of businesses directly related to shopping at the fair.” The attendance of more than 14,000 people is expected, including tourists, excursionists and local residents, which will contribute to making the most of this fair, added Yazmín Quiroz, head of the León Convention and Visitors Office.
Source: eleconomista
