I – THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR IN TUNISIA
By the end of 2009, the number of industrial companies manufacturing leather and shoes reached 440, including 225 whose overall production went to the export market. The number of secured jobs reached 32,600.
In 2009, the sector’s production value was estimated at 1260 Million Dinars. The shoes and stems activity guaranteed by itself 74% of the sector’s production--amounting to 930 Million Tunisian Dinars (TND).
The rest is provided by other activities, namely leather industry, leather clothing, tannery, accessories and components, that is to say 330 million Dinars. On the other hand, the achievements of foreign trade by the end of 2009 recorded more or less significant regressions.
The exports of the sector declined down to (- 9.3%), compared to the year 2008, dropping from $ 893.9 Million to 810.6 Million Dinars.
The coverage rate remains high enough (148%), thanks to the decline in the value of imports (- 2%).
The leading export product in the sector is the finished shoe, with 472.5 million dinars, i.e. 58.3% of total sector exports. The stems rank second, with 25.6% of the sector’s exports estimated at 207.2 Million Dinars.
However, imports are mainly formed by leather and skins whose total worth amounts to 310 Million Dinars, constituting approximately 57% of the value of overall imports in the sector.
II - THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR OF THE SFAX AREA
1– Companies and employment in the sector of leather and shoes in the Sfax area:
In a number of companies, the industries of leather and shoes in the Sfax area occupies the 3rd place after the regions of Great Tunis and Nabeul. Concerning the job market, the Sfax area ranks 4th.
Indeed, the sector counts forty-seven (47) small and medium-sized industrial companies, averageing 42 job positions per company. Another twenty companies or so are reducing output to a minimum or are temporarily closed down.
Eight (08) companies, totally producing for export, are mostly established on a partnership basis. To these companies is also added a large population of craftsmen estimated at 1,200, representing nearly 45% of the sector’s craftsmen and employing nearly 8,000 people.
The statistics above only took account of the businesses employing 10 or more people. The largest company in the leather and shoes sector in the region of Sfax is employing 470 people.
In total, the region has 1,968 jobs, corresponding to more than 6% of the industrial workforce in the sector.
2- Foreign Trade:
The exports taken into consideration are related to industrial companies as identified by their commercial name and customs code.
A number of trading operators involved in the sector of leather and shoes indirectly contribute to the export activity of the region. Their number is certainly substantial.
♦ The imported /exported products:
The operators based in the region of Sfax primarily import leather and shoe stems. These stems are intended to be re-exported as finished shoes or to be supplied to the local market mainly for producing clappers and shoes items.
Leather imports in 2009 reached 7,423 thousand dinars worth, and those of shoe stems 2,383 thousand Dinars. As for exports, they represent over 94% of finished shoes and shoe stems, amounting to 9,561 and 8,234 thousand Dinars, respectively.
3 - Production
The production of the Sfax region consists mainly of shoes items and related accessories and components (stems, soles, heels ... etc..), in addition to a low industrial production of leather goods (trunks, suitcases, small leather items and various containers) and a reduced volume of leather clothing, apart from the traditional production of leather clothing items located in El Jem (town situated 65 km north of Sfax city).
III– CONCLUSION:
As a conclusion, we can confirm that the industrial companies in the region of Sfax are weakly involved in the exports effort made by the sector of leather industries. This is mainly because of the nature of products they place on the market (shoes and accessories for the sector).
Furthermore, it should be noted that in the region of Sfax, fully exporting companies only represent 17% of the total number of production units, while the national share of these companies in the sector of leather and shoes amounts to 51%. This may explain the low rate of participation of the region’s companies in the sector’s exports.
However, the traditional production units (i.e. craftsmen’s workshops) in the region of Sfax are very active in the local market. They provide it with large quantities of shoes of all types.
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