With the goal of boosting and enhancing Brazilian footwear exports, Brazilian Footwear—the industry’s export promotion program run by Abicalçados in partnership with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil)—has defined its priority markets for 2026 and 2027. Following more than an hour of virtual discussions on March 27, representatives from Abicalçados, ApexBrasil, and footwear companies selected the United States, Colombia, Chile, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and Japan as top-priority destinations. Saudi Arabia and South Africa were chosen as secondary markets.

According to Letícia Sperb Masselli, Abicalçados’ Business and Relationship Manager, the markets were pre-selected based on both quantitative and qualitative data, which were presented to the companies attending the meeting. “Among the criteria we considered were market size, competition, trade barriers, and consumption potential. The teams at ApexBrasil and Abicalçados created regional rankings and submitted the countries for discussion and a final vote, already backed by qualitative and quantitative scoring,” explained Masselli.

She emphasized that the process is democratic and transparent, aiming to reflect the interests of most companies, regardless of their export maturity—whether they’re just starting out or already well-established in foreign markets. “Latin American markets tend to be more accessible for beginners, due to cultural similarities and geographic proximity. On the other hand, more sophisticated destinations such as Europe and the Middle East are more challenging and better suited for companies with more structured international strategies,” she added.

According to Clara Santos, manager of the Brazilian Footwear project at ApexBrasil, the initiative aims to maintain and expand the industry’s presence in established markets while also exploring high-potential new destinations, especially in Asia and Africa. “The idea is to diversify footwear exports as much as possible, so that internationalization doesn’t become overly dependent on a limited number of markets—and therefore less vulnerable to economic fluctuations,” she noted..

What’s new
Among the highlights for the upcoming two-year cycle are the inclusion of Japan and South Africa (as a secondary market). According to Letícia, Japan was chosen for being a key reference and strategic gateway to the broader Asian market. South Africa, in turn, was selected based on a study conducted by Abicalçados’ Market Intelligence team and will be targeted through buyer and press outreach initiatives.

Challenging moment
The selection of target markets comes at a challenging time for Brazilian footwear exports, amid major shifts in global trade dynamics triggered by the ongoing trade war between the United States and China. Despite the uncertainties, Brazil exported more than 31.5 million pairs of shoes from January to March—an increase of 14% compared to the same period in 2024. 

About Abicalçados:
The Brazilian Footwear Industries Association (Abicalçados) is the entity that represents the national industry, the fifth largest producer of footwear in the world, the largest in the West. Founded in 1983, Abicalçados, is headquartered in Novo Hamburgo/RS, has in its membership companies of all sizes and that account for more than 65% of the total pairs of shoes produced in the country. The entity represents an industry that directly employs more than 290 thousand people. Its mission is to represent, defend, develop and promote the Brazilian footwear industry, with respect, excellence and results. Learn more: abicalcados.com.br

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. Currently, more than 300 companies are served by the program, which last year generated US$ 147.5 million for Brazilian companies supported by Brazilian Footwear. Learn more: brazilianfootwear.com.br | abicalcados.com.br/brazilian-footwear. 

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