Market evolution: Textile footwear (CN 6404) — 2015–2025

Introduction

The EU market for textile footwear (CN 6404) has experienced robust growth in value terms over the 2015-2025 period, though this growth masks significant structural shifts in trade patterns. While the total value of both imports and exports has expanded substantially, the underlying volume of trade in physical units (pairs) has grown much more moderately, indicating a strong general trend of rising prices. The EU has consistently been a net importer, with its trade deficit widening over the decade. This period has been characterized by a major geographical reorientation of import sources and a remarkable rise in the bloc's export performance to specific markets. You can explore the underlying data for this overview here.

The Asian Import Pivot: From China Dominance to Diversified Sourcing

The most significant structural change in the EU's textile footwear trade has been the rapid diversification of its import sources away from China towards other Asian manufacturing hubs, particularly Vietnam.

Vietnam's Ascent as the Primary Supplier

Between 2015 and 2025, the value of EU imports from Vietnam surged by 166.4%, from €1.21 billion to €3.24 billion. In 2025, Vietnam solidified its position as the EU's top supplier by value, a dramatic shift from being the second-largest partner in 2015. This growth has been consistently strong, indicating a sustained strategic shift in EU sourcing.

The Resilient but Diminishing Share of China

China remains a massive supplier, with imports valued at €2.67 billion in 2025. However, its growth over the decade was modest at 8.2%. Consequently, China's share of EU imports has significantly decreased as Vietnamese and other Asian suppliers gained ground. This indicates a deliberate EU effort to reduce over-reliance on a single dominant source.

The Rise of Secondary Asian Suppliers

Beyond Vietnam, other Asian nations have dramatically increased their exports to the EU. The most notable growth was observed in:

• Myanmar: Imports grew by an extraordinary 1955.6%, albeit from a very low base.
• Bangladesh: Imports increased by 204.5%.
• Cambodia: Imports grew by 103.6%.
• Indonesia: Imports increased by 55.1%.

This collective growth underscores a broader industry-wide trend of supply chain diversification across Southeast Asia. The full data on import partners can be viewed here.

Value Growth Outpaces Volume: The Price-Driven Market

While trade volumes have been relatively stable, market value has expanded sharply, driven entirely by rising unit prices across almost all product sub-segments.

A Widening Trade Deficit Fueled by Price Increases

The EU's overall trade deficit in textile footwear grew from -€3.34 billion in 2015 to -€4.45 billion in 2025, a 33% increase. However, this increase in value is not due to a surge in the quantity of footwear being imported. The total quantity imported (in tonnes) grew by 48.8% (from 333,025 to 495,427 tonnes), but the corresponding supplementary quantity (pairs) only grew by 11.8% (from 675.8 million to 755.5 million pairs). The primary driver was the 43.1% increase in the average price per pair imported, which rose from €7.06 to €10.11. This suggests a trend toward higher-value imports.

Rising Export Prices Signal a Shift in EU Production

EU exports demonstrate an even more pronounced price effect. The value of exports more than doubled (+124.7%), reaching €3.21 billion in 2025. This occurred despite a slight decline in the number of pairs exported (-2.6%). The average export price per pair skyrocketed by 130.6%, from €23.99 in 2015 to €55.33 in 2025. This indicates that EU-produced textile footwear has moved significantly upmarket, commanding much higher prices in international markets. The detailed trend can be examined here.

Divergent Price Trajectories by Product Type

The price inflation was not uniform across all types of textile footwear:

• Sports Footwear (640411): Both import and export prices saw strong, steady growth. The import price per pair rose by 46.3%, and the export price increased by 62.4%.
• Other Textile Footwear (640419): This category, the largest by volume, saw the steepest export price rise (+174.2%). Import prices were more volatile but ended 71.3% higher.
• Leather-soled Textile Footwear (640420): This niche segment exhibited extreme price volatility but still showed strong growth, with the export price per pair nearly doubling. The full segment breakdown is available here.

Geographic Reorientation of EU Exports

EU exports of textile footwear have not only grown in value but have also undergone a profound geographical reorientation, moving away from the UK towards the United States and Switzerland.

The Decline of the United Kingdom as an Export Market

The UK, historically the EU's top export destination for this product, saw its imports from the bloc fall by 32.5% in value, from €706 million to €477 million. This decline, coupled with the rise of other destinations, meant the UK fell from being the dominant market to the second-largest.

Explosive Growth in Exports to the US and Switzerland

In stark contrast to the UK trend, exports to other high-income markets flourished:

• United States: The value of EU exports to the US grew by a staggering 419.8%, from €92 million to €480 million. The US climbed to become the fourth-largest export market in 2025.
• Switzerland: Exports to Switzerland grew by 343.7%, from €121 million to €537 million, making it the top export destination in 2025.

This pivot suggests a repositioning of EU exports toward larger, potentially more lucrative, markets outside the EU's immediate neighborhood. The list of top export partners can be found here.

Diversification and Reduced Export Concentration

The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) for export concentration by value plummeted by 64.6% over the period, indicating that the EU's export market has become much more diversified. The dominance of the UK has been replaced by a more balanced distribution across Switzerland, the UK, the US, and other partners.

Conclusion

Over the 2015-2025 period, the EU's textile footwear market has been transformed by powerful structural forces. Importantly, the market has grown in financial terms but not in physical volume, with inflation in unit prices being the dominant narrative. Geographically, the EU's supply chain has decisively pivoted from Chinese dependency to a diversified network of Asian producers, with Vietnam emerging as the new leader. Simultaneously, the EU's own export sector has undergone a premiumization, achieving much higher values by targeting affluent markets like the US and Switzerland. These dual shifts—toward diversified, cost-effective Asian sourcing and high-value, specialized exports—have redefined the EU's position in the global textile footwear trade, increasing its import reliance while simultaneously enhancing the competitive position of its own producers in niche, high-value segments.