Brazilian shoe exports decline as market 'normalises'
Between January and September, 90.63 million pairs of shoes were exported from Brazil, generating , $907.17 million, 16% lower in terms of volume and 8% lower in value compared with the same period last year, according to manufacturers association Abicalçados.
Haroldo Ferreira, executive president of Abicalçados, said: “Footwear exports have been falling since the beginning of the year due to macroeconomic factors and also because the base from last year is very strong. Last year, it's worth remembering, we had the best result in 12 years in footwear exports.
“In 2023, factors such as China's strong return to the market, after strict Covid Zero policies that delayed its production, the normalisation of freight prices, the slowdown in the world economy, especially that of our main destination (United States) and high inflation have harmed our performance.”
Unlike exports, footwear imports continue to rise. Between January and September, 23 million pairs entered Brazil, for which $348 million were paid, increases in both volume (13.4%) and revenue (28.2%) in relation to the same period of the year past. The main origins continue to be Asian countries, which account for more than 85% of the total footwear entering the country. The top three importers were Vietnam, Indonesia and China.
