Industry Value Rs 250 bn. local supply 75%
The Sri Lanka’s Premier Footwear & Leather Fair organised by the Sri Lanka Footwear & Leather Products Manufacturers Association in collaboration with the Ministry of Industries, Industrial Development Board and the Export Development Board, will be held on February 6 to 9,2025 at the BMICH under the theme “Made in Sri Lanka.”
The fair with 262 stalls, will be open to Public from 10. a.m. to 9 p.m.
The country’s approximate annual footwear requirement is in the range of 60 million pairs while the County’s current installed production capacity is also around 60 million pairs excluding rubber thongs. Thongs alone have reached about more than 25 million pairs. Value of this industry is around Rs 250 billion.
The current local manufacturer’s share is in the range 75% (45 million) and the balance 25% (15 million) is fulfilled by legal and illegal imports as well as assembled footwear. With the continuation of the safety net of CESS the industry has become a major foreign Exchange saving industry in the country. The country’s school shoes requirement of 4.5 million pairs is being produced by the local Manufactures. Sri Lanka’s barefoot population has been eradicated by the introduction of Flip flops.
Today flip flops have been successfully repositioned to cater to the teenage market’s fashion tastes and pitched it in the up market and now have become a major item of footwear exported to Australia and European Countries.
In the Leather Industry, apart from tanning, leather bags, small leather goods such as Gloves, wallets, bags, purses, belts, key tags are also produced in the Leather Industry.
The prime objective of the fair was to promote Sri Lankan products locally as well as Internationally, strengthen and sustain the image of the industry, promote Sri Lankan export capabilities among international buyers, provide opportunity for SMEs to improve their talents and capabilities to become export ready companies and to upgrade their technological capabilities.
The fair has now become an International event with the participation of Suppliers of raw material Accessories and Machinery from China, India, Pakistan. All the leading Producers and Exporters of Footwear and Leather products of the island will be participating at the fair this year.
Apart from the local producers the leading Foreign suppliers of Raw material, machinery, Components Accessories will be participating at this fair.
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