Paraguay last month held its first footwear and leather goods exposition as part of Taipei’s plans to help stimulate growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the diplomatic ally, the International Cooperation and Development Fund said yesterday.
Paraguay is one of Taiwan’s 15 diplomatic allies.
SMEs make up 50 percent of Paraguay’s GDP, fund Deputy Secretary-General Alex Shyy (史立軍) told a news conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei.
Photo courtesy of the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the Republic of Paraguay
About 99.7 percent of the businesses in Paraguay are SMEs, including 97 percent of micro-enterprises with 10 or fewer employees, he said.
The government in 2019 launched a program to improve the Paraguayan government’s capacity to assist SMEs and foster 14 key industries, including leather, dairy, textiles and ready-made clothing, and mate drinks, Shyy said.
Paraguay is known for its animal husbandry, and its beef products are available in Taiwan, he said.
However, it imports about 80 percent of the leather shoes sold in the country, indicating problems in the manufacture and supply chain of footwear, Shyy said.
The fund worked with the Paraguayan government to organize the expo to promote the country’s leather industry, which is the focus of this year’s efforts, he said.
The expo on Aug. 27 was attended by Ambassador to Paraguay Jose Han (韓志正), Paraguayan Minister of Industry and Commerce Luis Castiglioni and other officials, he added.
For the show, the fund asked emerging Paraguayan designers to create 200 products made of leather to make the expo more appealing to retailers, Shyy said, adding that 19 firms obtained purchase orders at the exhibition.
To boost Paraguay’s footwear industry, the fund helped local designers improve the quality and design of their products, encouraging them to blend traditional culture into their designs and cater to young consumers, he said.
Out-of-fashion models was one of the reasons Paraguayan consumers did not buy locally made shoes, he added, citing a survey conducted by the fund.
To boost online shoe sales amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the fund also introduced digital marketing tools to Paraguay and joined forces with local unions to improve the resilience and competitiveness of local firms, Shyy said.
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