Data prepared by the Brazilian Footwear Industries Association (Abicalçados) indicate that, in the first quarter, 38.44 million pairs were shipped abroad, which generated US$ 328.44 million. Records are 5.7% lower in volume and 2.4% higher in values compared to the same period last year. Considering only the month of March, exports totaled 11.67 million pairs and US$ 108.66 million, decreases both in volume (-11.4%) and in values (-2.6%) when compared to March 2022.

The CEO of Abicalçados, Haroldo Ferreira, points out that the month of March already reflects the scenario of international economic slowdown, associated with high inflation rates, which compromises the growth of sectors producing non-essential consumer goods. “At the same time, we noticed a tightening of international competition, as China resumes 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”, evaluates the executive, stressing that the difficulties with the increase in freight caused, last year, countries geographically close to Brazil to seek supply here, to the detriment of Asia.

Cooling in the US

Another fact highlighted by the executive is the fall in exports to the United States, the main destination for Brazilian footwear abroad. “As a result of the international slowdown and the growth in the level of inventories 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,” Ferreira adds.

In the quarter, the main destination for Brazilian footwear exports was the United States. In the period, North Americans imported 2.9 million yellow-green pairs, which generated US$ 56.87 million, decreases in both volume (-51.5%) and revenue (-35.9%) compared to the same period last year.

The second destination of the first three months was Argentina, which received 3.23 million pairs for US$ 55.32 million, up both in volume (+1.4%) and revenue (+52.8%) compared to the same period in 2022.

With significant growth and surpassing France in third position, Spain showed up in the ranking of the main destinations for Brazilian footwear. In the first quarter, 5.75 million pairs were shipped there, generating US$ 17.8 million, up 265.6% and 272.2%, respectively, compared to the same period last year.

State

The main Brazilian exporter of footwear continues to be Rio Grande do Sul. In the first quarter, Gaucho factories exported 9.58 million pairs for US$ 139.94 million, decreases in both volume (-11.2%) and revenue (-4%) compared to the same interval in 2022.

The second exporter of the quarter was Ceará, from where 13.18 million pairs left for US$ 83.54 million, a decrease of 6% in volume and an increase of 6% in revenue in relation to the same period last year.

Finishing the ranking, São Paulo appeared. In the first quarter, 2 million pairs left the São Paulo factories, which generated US$ 30.53 million, a decrease of 6.8% in volume and an increase of 3% in revenue in relation to the same period in 2022.

Imports continue to rise

Footwear imports, unlike exports, continue to trend upwards. In the first quarter, 9.9 million pairs entered Brazil for US$ 111.96 million, high both in volume (+11.4%) and revenue (+27.4%) compared to the same period in 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 US$ 16.22 million were paid, an increase of 12.3% in volume and a drop of 2% in revenue in relation to 2022.

In the second position appeared shoes imported from Vietnam. In the three months, 2.4 million Vietnamese pairs entered Brazil for US$ 55.58 million, up both in volume (+21.8%) and revenue (+43.6%) compared to the same period last year.

Closing the ranking of imports appeared footwear from Indonesia. In the three months, Brazil imported 846.27 thousand pairs of footwear from that country, spending a total of US$ 17.3 million, up 13.3% and 11.3%, respectively, compared to the same interval in 2022.

Alert

Ferreira warns that Chinese footwear imports are 51% higher than imports from the Asian country in the average of the last seven years. "In addition, in the quarter, it is still the highest volume of imports originating in China since 2010, with the lowest average price, in the period, of the entire historical series (since 1997). Today, Chinese shoes arrive at prices less than US$ 2, which points to dumping. The fact requires special attention from the Federal Government, as it endangers the national industry and the thousands of jobs generated by it,” concludes the executive.

In footwear parts - uppers, insoles, soles, heels, etc. - imports in the quarter totaled US$ 7.15 million, 20.3% more than in the same period last year. The main origins were China, Paraguay and Vietnam.