The partnership between the Brazilian Footwear Industries Association (Abicalçados) and the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil), which, since 2000, has maintained Brazilian Footwear, a program to support international shipments of footwear, was renewed for the 2024/2025 biennium. For the next two years, the program foresees investments of more than R$ 36 million in actions aimed at internationalization and promotion of the footwear industry. Half of the investment comes from the Agency and the rest is contributed by the companies participating in the program.

The executive president of Abicalçados, Haroldo Ferreira, highlights the importance of the program for exports in the sector. According to him, in 2023 the supported actions generated US$ 147.5 million (R$ 872.3 million). “Last year, the program invested R$ 20.3 million in actions, considering the investment of ApexBrasil and the investment in return from both companies and Abicalçados. The return on investment was R$ 43 for every R$ 1 invested”, informs the executive, stressing that more than 80% of the total generated by Brazilian footwear exports comes from companies supported by the Brazilian Footwear program. “The program, since 2000, has not only supported the increase in shipped volume, but above all has supported the greater diversification of markets and exported products. When we signed the first agreement, our shipments were going to 99 destinations. We were above 170 markets in 2023”, adds Ferreira.

For the next biennium, Brazilian Footwear will promote actions that have a direct or indirect impact on the target markets of the program, chosen by the associates in a meeting conducted by the Market Intelligence areas of ApexBrasil and Abicalçados. Last year, the markets of the United States, Colombia, Chile, United Arab Emirates, Germany and Angola were listed as priorities. The secondary target markets, which will be worked on for understanding and prospecting for future actions during the biennium, will be Saudi Arabia and Australia.

Goal
The president of ApexBrasil, Jorge Viana, points out that ApexBrasil's support aims to develop the footwear production chain, with the goal of making it one of the largest on the planet in the coming years. "A few years ago we were the third largest shoe producer in the world and today we are the fifth, the largest outside of Asia. We have, gathered here, all the conditions to return to the levels of past years. The shoe developed by our industry does not lose in quality to any in the world”, comments Viana.

World Colors: growth for 2024
One of the companies participating in Brazilian Footwear is World Colors, from Birigui / SP. The manufacturer of children's shoes for girls, which produces 600 thousand pairs of shoes per year, of which it exports 20%, is optimistic for 2024. The company's export manager, Rodrigo Nunes, explains that for the year that begins the goal is to increase the exported share to 30%. "For this, the support of Brazilian Footwear will be fundamental. We participated, for the first time, in the Riva Schuh Expo, in Riva del Garda, and the results were very good, especially for the connection with the European market, where we want to act more strongly in the coming years”, he explains, stressing that the company is negotiating with three distributors from the continent, one Italian and two Spanish. Currently, World Colors exports its products to Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe, with 70% of them with their own brand and the rest private label (customer brand). For the next few years, Nunes says that the footwear company will seek to expand its participation in Italy and, for this, it is also studying to participate in Micam Milano.

According to the manager, the support of Brazilian Footwear goes far beyond the financial subsidy for international fairs and actions. “The program also supports with all the necessary expertise for exports, including market intelligence, which helps in the adoption of international strategies”, he evaluates.

Calçados Status: export-oriented company
Calçados Status (Três Coroas / RS), a women's footwear industry that produces the Capelli Rossi brand and private label, was born focused on the international market. Although hostage to international fluctuations, which last year were driven by the wars between Ukraine and Russia and the return of China's aggressive export policy, the company has in Brazilian Footwear a kind of “safe haven”. With a production of 1 thousand pairs daily, of which 70% gets shipped to countries in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, as well as New Zealand, Canada and Chile, the footwear company participates in the Italian fairs Micam Milano and Expo Riva Schuh, in which it has fundamental support from Brazilian Footwear. “Without this support, we would hardly be able to participate in the fairs with our own stand,” says Juliana Behrend, the company's export manager.

According to Juliana, 2023 was a difficult year, especially in the face of an extraordinary 2022. “2022 is a strong base, with a lot of euphoria - and indebtedness - from international markets. In 2023, we felt the market oscillation, with a slowdown in footwear consumption caused by inflation, especially in Europe”, she evaluates. For 2024, the goal is to maintain and even expand the customer base. “We will probably not have an increase in exports in volume, but we will seek to maintain markets for when the situation is more normalized on the international scene”, completes Juliana, stressing that the year started weaker, but that it should improve throughout the second half.

Ferricelli: good expectations
Ferricelli, a men's footwear producer from Franca / SP, will count on the support of Brazilian Footwear to meet the target of 30% growth in exports throughout 2024. Currently exporting about 25% of its production of 2 thousand pairs per day to Latin American countries, the company wants to increase this share in the coming years. "Export has been gaining ground at Ferricelli. With the actions supported by the program, we will seek even greater growth”, comments Ferricelli's export manager, Janaína Rezende.

According to the manager, 2023 was an atypical year in exports and interrupted a growth sequence. “We had a drop of 17% compared to 2022, especially due to the drop in footwear consumption in the world,” she says. For 2024, with good expectations in view of the growth perspective for the world economy, the company has already mapped out participations in Micam Milano and BFSHOW - Brazilian Footwear Show. ”Brazilian Footwear has been very important for the increase in the international market, not only for financial incentives, but also for all marketing support", evaluates Janaína.

PVC Indústria: comprehensive overview of international operations
PVC Indústria, a producer of pvc-injected footwear from Juazeiro do Norte / CE that produces the brands Vizzia, Delta Sport, Macarena, Bia Kids, Léo Baby, Bia Baby and private label debuted in Brazilian Footwear actions last year, participating in the Colombia Trade Mission. With a production of 10 thousand pairs of shoes per day, of which it exports about 10% to Paraguay, Panama, Uruguay and Ecuador, the company wants to increase the share exported, mainly to Latin American countries. According to the export manager of PVC Indústria, André Duarte, 2023, despite the challenges imposed, was stable compared to the previous year. "The support of Brazilian Footwear, in the participation of the Colombia Trade Mission, helped our exports remain stable even in the face of a more difficult market. There, we closed deals with the client's brand. We will return in 2024 to also close deals with our own brand”, comments Duarte, stressing that the company's exports are divided between 60% private label and 40% their own brand.

For Duarte, the company's entry into Brazilian Footwear made the strategic vision of exports more comprehensive. “We were experienced in the area, but the program provided us with a safer vision of acting in foreign trade”, he evaluates. For 2024, the manager predicts an increase in the exported share, to between 12% and 14%, which means a growth between 2% and 3.5% of shipments throughout the year. “We will pursue the goal with the consolidation of partnerships and also with the continuity in participation in international missions,” he adds.

Tenisport: success of trade missions and BFSHOW
Exporting 25% of its production of 4.5 thousand pairs of shoes per day, Tenisport, producer of the brand of sneakers and casual shoes from Birigui/SP Adrun, sees an oxygenation of the sector through trade missions and also the realization of the first edition of BFSHOW, which had more than 150 international buyers last November in a partnership with ApexBrasil. “The year 2023 was totally atypical, we had an important decrease due to being an election year in several countries, such as Argentina, and internal political problems in Ecuador and Colombia. For 2024, the estimate is to grow between 30% and 50% in exports, recovering last year's losses,” reports the company's Export Manager, Junior Pinese.

To seek recovery, Pinese has the support of Brazilian Footwear. "Trade missions are very important for the oxygenation of the export program, in addition to the second edition of BFSHOW. We believe that one of the editions of BFSHOW in São Paulo / SP, where the main and largest hub of important airports in Brazil is located, will help a lot in the coming of international customers who were already worn out with long trips to previous fairs and also the very high extra costs”, evaluates the manager, adding that Brazilian Footwear is very important for the increase of the company's exports, “because it aims to take the brand of Brazilian footwear to an even more professional level, showing quality and design to the world”. For 2024, the company has mapped participation in Micam Milano, BFSHOW and the Colombia Trade Mission.

JPMS Calçados: steady growth
JPMS Calçados (São João Batista / SC), producer of the women's brand Parô, sees in Brazilian Footwear a fundamental support for the constant growth of exports. Producing 1.5 thousand pairs per day, of which it exports 15% to South American countries, the company was present, over the past year, at the Colombia Trade Mission. According to the company's international business manager, Schirley Booz Sá, the year of 2023 was one of growth in the first half and stability in the second.

Increasing digitization has also aided JPMS' export growth. According to Schirley, since the Covid-19 pandemic the company has been participating in online rounds, which merges with face-to-face rounds. "For 2024, we will participate for the first time in Micam Milano, which generates the expectation of opening markets in Europe, in addition to maintaining participation in the Colombia Trade Mission”, she adds.

Brazilian Footwear - biennium 2024/2025
Get to know the selected priority markets:

United States
Elected for market consolidation, the United States is, historically, the main destination for Brazilian footwear abroad. Last year, according to data prepared by Abicalçados, 10.64 million pairs were shipped there, which generated US$ 227 million. Despite being the main destination for exports in the sector, Brazil has only 1% of the market share of imports from that country. The United States is the world's largest importer (by revenue).

Colombia
Colombia is considered a relevant market for Brazilian footwear, especially for companies that are less advanced in the export process. Brazil represents almost 10% of total footwear imports from that country and has the potential to grow even more due to its geographical proximity, which facilitates logistics, and cultural proximity. In 2023, exports of yellow-green shoes there amounted to 9.34 million pairs, which generated US$ 39.57 million.

Chile
Aiming at the strategic opening of the Chilean market, Brazilian Footwear will bet on that market for the next period. According to a survey by Abicalçados Market Intelligence, Brazil accounts for only 3.4% of the country's footwear imports. Last year, 2.47 million pairs were shipped there, which generated US$ 33.5 million.

United Arab Emirates
Considered strategic for being a re-exporter to other Arab countries, the United Arab Emirates has great market potential for Brazil. In 2023, 676.8 thousand yellow-green pairs were exported there, which generated US$ 8.4 million.

Germany
Accounting for 20% of footwear consumption in western Europe, Germany is the world's leading importer in the Old Continent and the second largest in the world. Last year, the Brazilian Footwear Industry shipped 479 thousand pairs there, which generated US$ 5.68 million.

Angola
The main African market for Brazilian footwear, Angola, in addition to being strategic for expansion on the continent, has over 30% of its imports in the sector from Brazil. Angola imported, in 2023, 3.15 million green-yellow pairs, which generated US$ 12.37 million.

About Brazilian Footwear:
Brazilian Footwear is an export incentive program developed by Abicalçados in partnership with ApexBrasil. This program aims to increase the presence of the Brazilian industry and its brands in the international market through development actions, commercial promotion and image. Read more:.brazilianfootwear.com.br

About ApexBrasil:
Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) is the Brazilian government’s trade and investment promotion agency. Regarding the investment activity, we support international investors as they analyze the opportunities to establish a plant in Brazil, start a partnership with a Brazilian company, or commit capital in Brazil through funds and companies. Our goal is to satisfy investors needs and generate results as we attract technology, innovation, new companies and generate jobs in Brazil. Learn more: https://apexbrasil.com.br/br/en.html#home