The country’s footwear exports totaled 11.67 million pairs in March and were worth $108.66 million, down in both volume (minus 11.4%) and value (minus 2.6%) compared to March 2022.
Footwear exports to the United States, the main foreign destination for these items, fell.
Brazil exported 38.44 million pairs of shoes worth $328.44 million in the first quarter (Q1) of this year, down 5.7% in volume and 2.4% more in value compared to Q1 2022. The country imported 9.9 million pairs worth $111.96 million during the quarter. — high both in volume (11.4%) and in revenue (27.4%) compared to Q1 2022.
The main destination for Brazilian footwear exports in the first quarter of 2023 was the United States. During the quarter, North Americans imported 2.9 million yellow-green pairs, which generated $56.87 million, down in volume (minus 51.5%) and revenue (minus 35. 9%) compared to the same period last year.
The second destination in the first quarter was Argentina, which received 3.23 million pairs for $55.32 million, up in both volume (1.4%) and revenue (52.8%) compared to the same period in 2022.
The month of March already reflects the scenario of international economic slowdown, associated with high inflation rates, which undermines the growth of sectors producing non-essential consumer goods, noted the general manager of Abicalçados, Haroldo Ferreira.
“At the same time, we have seen a tightening of international competition, as China regains its positioning after the restrictions of the COVID Zero policy, in addition to the drop in the cost of international freight, today almost 80% below the same month of the previous year,” he said in a press note.
Due to difficulties with rising freight costs last year, countries geographically close to Brazil sourced supplies there at the expense of Asia, he said.
“Due to the international slowdown and the growth in inventory levels in the market, total footwear imports from the United States have already suffered a reduction of 21.5% (in volume), which has a direct impact on Brazilian shipments,” noted Ferreira.
With significant growth and overtaking France in third position, Spain appears in the ranking of the main destinations for Brazilian footwear. In the first quarter, 5.75 million pairs were shipped there, generating $17.8 million, an increase of 265.6% and 272.2% respectively compared to the same period last year.
The main Brazilian footwear exporter remains the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The second largest exporter in the quarter was Ceará.
Brazil’s footwear imports, unlike exports, continue to grow. In the first quarter of this year, 9.9 million pairs entered Brazil for $111.96 million, a high figure both in volume (11.4%) and revenue (27.4%) compared in the first quarter of 2022.
The main origins remain Asian countries. The first of these is China, which exported to Brazil, in the three months, 5.64 million pairs, for which 16.22 million dollars were paid, an increase of 12.3% in volume and a 2% decline in revenue compared to the first quarter of 2022. .
In second place was Vietnam. In the first quarter of this year, 2.4 million Vietnamese pairs entered Brazil for $55.58 million, up in both volume (21.8%) and revenue (43.6%) from in the first quarter of 2022.
Fibre2Fashion (DS) News Desk
