Reporters learned yesterday that China International Leather Fair 2008 will be held in Shanghai New International Expo Center in from September 3 to 5, 2008.

Su Chaoying, Secretary General of the China Leather Association, said at the conference of China International Leather Fair that the export volume of leather shoes industry declined for the first time in 2007 due to the continued appreciation of the renminbi, the EU's anti-dumping duties on China's leather shoes and the adjustment of the export tax rebate policy.

But at the same time, China's leather industry has improved its new product development and profitability, the proportion of the trade surplus has declined, and the industry's ability of sustainable development has been increasing.

The number of leather shoes exported in 2007 was 1 billion 300 million pairs, down 6% from the same period last year. Although the number of exports decreased for the first time in more than ten years, the export amount was 9 billion 560 million US dollars, an increase of 9% compared with the same period last year. The flat export price of leather shoes was 7.29 US dollars, an increase of 13.5% over the same period last year, and the increase was remarkable.

At present, China has become the largest footwear producer in the world, and the footwear industry in Guangdong is nearly half that of the whole country.