The Vietnam Leather and Footwear Association is organizing a delegation of businesses to participate in the international Footwear Expo 2009 in Guangzhou, China, the Vietnam News Agency reported Tuesday.

The three-day event, beginning June 2, would be a good opportunity for Vietnamese businesses to access to advanced technology used in footwear production, as well as seek new trade partners, said the association.

Vietnam ranks among top ten countries of footwear exports in the world market. In the European market, Vietnam ranks second behind China on footwear exports, said the association.

In 2008, Vietnam exported leather footwear worth 4.7 billion U.S. dollars, a rise of 18.5 percent.