16 Oct NICARAGUA: Footwear production Rising
Footwear production in Nicaragua is set to rise by 11% this year as the country continues to increase its foothold in the US market.
Around 1,200 small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) dedicated to footwear manufacture in Nicaragua are expected to have produced 2m shoes by the year-end, 200,000 more than in 2012.
During 2005, Nicaraguan SMEs produced 1.2m shoes and in 2012 production reached 1.8m.
The country first began producing high volume export-quality shoes in 2010, and has been marked as a supplier to watch, along with Cambodia and Bangladesh.
According to ProNicaragua, the country’s investment promotion agency, 70% of footwear operations are located in Granada and Masaya, while 10% are in Estelí and another 10% in Managua.