From the newsroom
São Paulo – The 36th Shoe, Fashion Accessories, Machines and Components Fair(Francal), which began last Tuesday and ends this Friday (16) at Anhembi Expo Center in São Paulo, has surprised participating industries.
"That industries will export 58% more this semester than the same period last year, we already knew. Expectations are that exports will reach US$ 180 million. The biggest surprise was storeowner interest," says Américo Pizza, administrative director of the Franca shoe industry Union.
"Judging by the massive Brazilian storeowner visitation at Francal this year, we will have a much better second semester than in 2003 on the internal market. After all, one day before the end of the event we already received 6,000 visits, and at the end of Francal in 2003, we had only had 4,500. It is possible that we may see a 30% increase in domestic sales in the second half of 2004," he adds.
On the foreign market, participating industries also have nothing to complain about. Small and medium businesses received visits from large importers from the USA, Japan, Spain and Bolivia. Some even entered into negotiation.
With production increasing in the shoe industry, exports maintaining, and sales improvements forecast for the internal market, the Franca Shoe Industry Union has already registered a 25% increase in labor in industries, compared to the second semester of 2003.
