Footwear imports to the country have reduced from 60 percent to 20 percent on the back of an increase in the export of locally manufactured footwear, according to Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen.

Sri Lanka’s earnings from footwear exports increased to Rs. 11.7 billion in 2015 from Rs. 3.8 billion in 2013. The island earned nearly Rs. 12 billion from footwear exports during the first eight months of 2016.