Geovana Pagel
São Paulo – The opening ceremony of Couromoda 2004, the largest shoe fair in Latin America, which began on Monday in the southeastern city of São Paulo, was marked by the discussion of a complex theme: the Foreign Trade Board (Camex) decision to reduce export tax on max blue leather from 9% to 7%, and the extinction of the tax b 2006. To businessmen in the sector, the measure makes it possible to export more leather and products with lower added value, as wet blue is leather in its natural state.
"We will return to being raw material exporters, which means going back to the past. The sector potential will stagnate," stated the president of the Brazilian Tannery Industry Center, Amadeu Fernandes, one of the executives present at the event.
Development minister Luiz Fernando Furlan, also president of Camex, participated in the event and went against the criticism, stating that the fad is now "to take the leather off ministers."
Furlan admitted, however, that the measure could have been discussed with businessmen in the sector. Acting president José Alencar added that the government is prepared to rethink the decision. "The government certainly does not want to hurt the sector," he said. "What was probably missing was dialogue."
Other authorities present at the event included São Paulo state governor Geraldo Alckmin, Rio Grande do Sul state governor (south) Germano Rigotto, and Minas Gerais state governor (southeast) Aécio Neves, apart from São Paulo mayor Marta Suplicy, and Couromoda founder, Francisco Santos.
Santos pointed out the record number of exhibitors and visitors at the fair – 915 companies and 55,000 visitors, respectively. Among the exhibitors he informed that most (340) come from São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul (296) and Minas Gerais (147). The remaining exhibitors (132) come from another 12 states in the Brazil.
