São Paulo – Brazilian exports of garments to the Arab world dropped 16% in the first two months of the year. Sales, which included accessories, totalled US$ 674,000 in January and February this year. In the same period in 2011, they were US$ 809,000. “They did not drop just to the Arabs, but to all. Our sales to the world dropped 40% in 2011,” stated the president of the Minas Gerais Garment Union, Michel Aburachid. Minas Gerais was the second greatest exporter state in the first two months, after São Paulo.
Regarding the small volume of shipments, Aburachid stated that greater trade promotion in the region is necessary. “We have potential, they like our product, we are creative,” he said, adding, however, that what hinders Brazilian garment exports is the current exchange rate. “What we are exporting more is party fashion, beach fashion and under garments. Casual fashion, for everyday use, in which our production is greatest, is not being sold due to the price.”
Last year as a whole, Brasil exported around US$ 4 million in garments to the Arab market. This year, of the total sold up to February, little less than half represented knit articles. The main products exported were dresses, with US$ 323,000. Female beach fashion also answered to a significant volume, with US$ 148,000. Both products answered to 70% of the total sold to the Arabs by garment producers.
The garment manufacturers that sold most to the Arab world in the first two months of this year were from São Paulo, followed by Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro. São Paulo state garment shipments generated revenues of around US$ 300,000, Minas Gerais exports, US$ 286,000, and those of Rio de Janeiro, US$ 58,000. There was a reduction in exports of all three states to the Arab world. Also exporting to the region were companies from Bahia, Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná, Santa Catarina and Ceará.
*Translated by Mark Ament
