São Paulo – The Brazilian footwear industry saw its exports to the Arab countries go down in the first seven months of this year. Data from the Brazilian Footwear Industry Association (Abicalçados) shows that Brazil’s revenues with footwear sales to the United Arab Emirates from January to July of this year declined 25.5% over the same months of last year. In the same comparison, revenues with exports to Saudi Arabia went down 31.1%.
Footwear trade to the UAE generated USD 10.8 million in revenues, while sales to Saudis reached USD 10.3 million. Regarding quantity, both markets presented similar footwear import numbers in the first seven months of the year. The UAE bought 1.17 million pairs with Saudi Arabia purchasing 1.18 million, a decline of 10% and 16%, respectively.
The decline in revenues from exports to the region was greater than the decline in quantity because Brazil’s footwear was sold at lower prices to both Arab countries from January to July. To the UAE, the average price of the pair sold was USD 9.21, down 17% than in the first seven months of 2015, while the average price to the Saudis was USD 8.72, an 18% decline.
The Emirates were the 11th largest market for Brazilian footwear year-to-date ending in July. Saudi Arabia holds the 12th spot in the ranking. The largest importer of Brazilian footwear was the United States, followed by Argentina, France, Bolivia, Paraguay, Colombia, Chile, United Kingdom, Peru and Australia. After the two Arab countries, the top 20 list is completed by Israel, Uruguay, Italy, Philippines, Cuba, Russia, Canada and Panama.
Overall exports from the footwear sector decreased 2.6% in revenues from January to July of this year to USD 530 million, according to data from Abicalçados. Regarding volume, 66.5 million pairs were shipped, meaning an increase of 1.5%. In July alone, Brazil earned USD 78.6 million with footwear exports, a decline of 2% over the same month of 2015. In volume, 8.6 million pairs were shipped, a decline of 9.4%.
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
