[Epoch Times September 18, 2021](Epoch Times reporter Liu Yi comprehensive report) The recent outbreak of the epidemic in Putian, Fujian, China, has dealt a major blow to the footwear capital of the mainland. The factory is facing chargebacks, shutdowns, and busy assembly lines. one person.
At present, this wave of epidemics in Fujian has spread in Putian, Xiamen, Quanzhou, and Zhangzhou. Among the 21 high-risk areas in Fujian, Putian has 1 high-risk area and 9 medium-risk areas. As of September 16, there are still a large number of new local infections in Putian. Most shoe factories in Xianyou County and even Putian City have ceased production.
According to CCTV news on September 17, Li Zaili, director and administrative vice president of a footwear company in Putian, Fujian, said when talking about the current status of the enterprise: There are many export orders, but the goods cannot be shipped, and some of the orders will definitely be cancelled. The company currently has more than 2,000 employees, an annual production capacity of about 6 million pairs, an annual output value of more than 600 million yuan, and a large proportion of foreign trade orders.
Yu Guomin, the person in charge of a shoe industry e-commerce platform in Putian, Fujian, revealed: So far, his company’s own internal statistics have about 1,000 pieces of goods, and only about 50 pieces have been shipped out, and the chargeback is relatively serious.
Putian City is the famous “shoe capital” in China. The shoe industry is one of the pillar industries in Putian, Fujian. There are more than 4,200 footwear companies in Putian, employing more than 500,000 people, with an annual output value of over 100 billion yuan and an annual output of 12.6. 100 million pairs, accounting for 9.3% of the national output. Among them, there are many well-known sneaker brands such as NIKE Air Jordan series and other foundry factories, and because of the local foundry technology, many shoe factories are also manufacturing “high imitation fake shoes.”
After the outbreak of the epidemic in Putian, most shoe factories have announced their suspension of work. Lu media reporters discovered that the factory gate of a shoe company in Laidian Town, Xianyou County, Fujian Province was closed. The original noisy assembly line is now empty. After the outbreak of the plague, the factory immediately shut down.
After the shoe factory stops working, it will also face the pressure of workers’ wages and inventory sales. Putian resident Mr. Wang also said to The Epoch Times: “If you stop working, it depends on how long you stop. If you stop for a month, there will be no income.”
Some netizens also said that not only the shoe factory was shut down, but the local logistics industry was also affected, which was a serious blow to the overall local industrial economy.
Not only in the Putian area, the epidemic has also had a negative impact on the mainland’s economy, especially the tourism industry, which has been gradually recovering recently.
The Mid-Autumn Festival and the “October” holiday are coming soon. The Ministry of Transport of the Communist Party of China recently issued a notice to suspend county-level road passenger transport, cross-city buses, taxis, ride-hailing and intra-city carpooling services for medium- and high-risk areas. Many places in China suggest that citizens spend the holidays on the spot. Many mainland citizens have no plans to travel.
Some netizens murmured: “The itinerary has all been done, but the epidemic has occurred in Fujian. Is it endless? Do you want to travel in the middle of a crack?”
Huang Senzhong, a scholar at Nankai University, believes that when this wave of epidemic will be subdued, this round of infections is “medium-scale” and it is estimated that it will not be effectively controlled until early October.
The Chinese Communist Party’s methods of closing cities and areas to prevent epidemics have also been questioned by some people in the economic circles. Industry insiders said that the closure of the city caused the closure of industries such as manufacturing and service industries, and economic activities stalled, causing great harm to the economy.
In early August, the international financial institution Goldman Sachs has lowered the mainland’s GDP growth for the third quarter and the whole year. Nomura Holdings also lowered its forecast for China’s economic growth.
Editor in charge: Li Qiong
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