News Artisans losing trade to Chinese knock-offs Makers of nativity scene figures are losing market share to China 7 0 Mexico News Daily | Tuesday, December 22, 2015 One of the most iconic Christmas celebrations in Mexico is the setting up of the nacimiento, the nativity scene that represents the birthplace of Jesus Christ. But more and more of the figures used in the scene are coming from China, threatening the livelihood of artisans. A proper nacimiento will include the infant Jesus and his parents, the angel Gabriel, the Three Wise Men, shepherds, farm animals and the Devil. The bucolic scene can fit on the top of a coffee table or under the Christmas tree, or extend over a garage or a home’s front yard, limited only by the creativity of its owners. But the cheap Chinese copies of the nativity figures have had a negative impact on their sales by artisans from Amozoc and Tepeaca in the state of Puebla, who have lost up to 50% of their market share in the last five years. The director of the Amozoc Chamber of Commerce reports that of the town’s 77,000 inhabitants, half are artisans, and that 40% of their yearly production is exclusively Christmas-related. Silvia del Rocío Beltrán stated that the handicrafts have been undervalued by consumers, who prefer buying low-quality Chinese knock-offs for 15 pesos apiece to purchasing the domestic product from markets or studio-workshops, where the price of each figure can range from 20 to 55 pesos. In the last five years, 100 such family workshops have shut down as they were unable to compete, said Beltrán. In an effort to counter the trend, Puebla’s artisans have started to promote their handicrafts by making seasonal trips to neighboring states, such as Veracruz, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala and Oaxaca, hoping to save their businesses from bankruptcy. The state of jalisco had been seeing a similar situation but through a promotional campaign launched three months ago it has managed to turn the tables. Entitled “La artesanía está de moda” (Handicrafts are in fashion), the campaign has “given very good results,” said the director of the Jalisco Handicrafts Institute. “We managed to reverse the trend. Foreign figures are still being bought in Jalisco, but we managed to reappraise the state’s products in the consumer’s eye,” said Camilo Ramírez. According to the last census, of the 400,000 artisans in the state, 25% produce Christmas-related figures, mainly in ceramics, glass, wood, and even piteado, a decorative embroidery on leather. About 430 workshops in Jalisco are dedicated to producing artisanal nacimientos, providing a livelihood for at least 1,100 people. Source: El Economista (sp) - See more at: http://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/artisans-losing-trade-to-chinese-knock-offs/?utm_source=Mexico+News+Daily&utm_campaign=013ca68cba-December+22&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f1536a3787-013ca68cba-348153685#sthash.aLTRF0Qa.dpuf

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Artisans losing trade to Chinese knock-offs

Makers of nativity scene figures are losing market share to China

  7  0

Mexico News Daily | Tuesday, December 22, 2015

One of the most iconic Christmas celebrations in Mexico is the setting up of the nacimiento, the nativity

scene that represents the birthplace of Jesus Christ. But more and more of the figures used in the scene are coming from China, threatening the livelihood of artisans.

A proper nacimiento will include the infant Jesus and his parents, the angel Gabriel, the Three Wise Men, shepherds, farm animals and the Devil. The bucolic scene can fit on the top of a coffee table or under the Christmas tree, or extend over a garage or a home’s front yard, limited only by the creativity of its owners.

But the cheap Chinese copies of the nativity figures have had a negative impact on their sales by artisans from Amozoc and Tepeaca in the state of Puebla, who have lost up to 50% of their market share in the last five years.

The director of the Amozoc Chamber of Commerce reports that of the town’s 77,000 inhabitants, half are artisans, and that 40% of their yearly production is exclusively Christmas-related.

Silvia del Rocío Beltrán stated that the handicrafts have been undervalued by consumers, who prefer buying low-quality Chinese knock-offs for 15 pesos apiece to purchasing the domestic product from markets or studio-workshops, where the price of each figure can range from 20 to 55 pesos.

In the last five years, 100 such family workshops have shut down as they were unable to compete, said Beltrán.

In an effort to counter the trend, Puebla’s artisans have started to promote their handicrafts by making seasonal trips to neighboring states, such as Veracruz, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala and Oaxaca, hoping to save their businesses from bankruptcy.

The state of jalisco had been seeing a similar situation but through a promotional campaign launched three months ago it has managed to turn the tables.

Entitled “La artesanía está de moda” (Handicrafts are in fashion), the campaign has “given very good results,” said the director of the Jalisco Handicrafts Institute.

“We managed to reverse the trend. Foreign figures are still being bought in Jalisco, but we managed to reappraise the state’s products in the consumer’s eye,” said Camilo Ramírez.

According to the last census, of the 400,000 artisans in the state, 25% produce Christmas-related figures, mainly in ceramics, glass, wood, and even piteado, a decorative embroidery on leather.

About 430 workshops in Jalisco are dedicated to producing artisanal nacimientos, providing a livelihood for at least 1,100 people.

Source: El Economista (sp)

- See more at: http://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/artisans-losing-trade-to-chinese-knock-offs/?utm_source=Mexico+News+Daily&utm_campaign=013ca68cba-December+22&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f1536a3787-013ca68cba-348153685#sthash.aLTRF0Qa.dpuf