Brazilian footwear exports hit lowest levels since pandemic

Brazilian footwear exports have reached their lowest performance since the 2020 pandemic. According to data from Abicalçados and the Secretariat of Foreign Trade (Secex), between January and August, the country exported 62.45 million pairs of shoes, generating US$ 541.45 million. This represents a 7.5% drop in volume and a 16.8% decrease in revenue compared to the same period last year.

Haroldo Ferreira, executive president of Abicalçados, attributed the decline primarily to difficulties in the United States and Argentina, which together accounted for a US$ 111 million loss in export revenue. In the United States, while shipment volume in August rose by 40.5%, revenue fell by 9.2% due to a significant drop in average prices. In Argentina, the industry faces reduced consumption and increased competition from Asian products following tariff reductions for non-Mercosul goods.

Simultaneously, the domestic market is seeing a rise in imports. Between January and August, footwear imports into Brazil increased by 9.6% in volume and 11% in value, reaching US$ 429.7 million, driven largely by Asian suppliers.