São Paulo – The two Arab countries that buy the most shoes from Brazil both stepped down their imports in H1 this year, the Brazilian Footwear Industry Association (Abicalçados) said. Sales revenues dropped 25% to the United Arab Emirates and 33% to Saudi Arabia.
The UAE imported USD 9.7 million in H1 2016, down from USD 13 million in H1 2015. Sales amount declined less, by 10.4% to 1.05 million pairs. The average price per shoe shipped from Brazil to the UAE was USD 11.07 in H1 2015 and USD 9.27 in H1 2016.
Saudi Arabia also paid less per shoe pair in H1 this year – USD 8.8 – than in H1 2015 – USD 10.6. Overall, it spent USD 9.4 million on 1.06 million pairs of shoes. Sales amount shrank 19.5%. The UAE ranked 11th on Brazil’s footwear export list; Saudi Arabia ranked 12th.
Brazilian shoe exports to Arab countries declined more than its total shoe exports: total revenues dropped by 2.7%. The Brazilian footwear industry grossed USD 451.4 million from exports in H1 and shipped 57.9 million pairs of shoes abroad, a 3.3% increase. The top buyer was the United States, followed by Argentina and France.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
