São Paulo – Brazilian shoe imports grew 58.1% between January and July this year when compared with the same period in 2007. The Brazilian market purchased abroad 15.1 million pairs of shoes in the first seven months of 2007 and 23.9 million in the same period this year. In terms of values, the purchase of shoes from other countries reached US$ 175.9 million against US$ 110.2 million in 2007, growth of 59%.
There was also an increase in the average price of shoes imported from Brazil, which rose from US$ 7.27 from January to July 2007 to US$ 7.34 in the same period this year. The main foreign shoe suppliers to the Brazilian market were China and Vietnam. From the Chinese factories came 20.8 million pairs and from Vietnam, 1.7 million pairs.
Brazilian sector exports grew in the period, according to figures supplied by the Brazilian Association of Shoe Manufacturers (Abicalçados). From January to July this year Brazilian shoe industries had revenues of US$ 1.144 billion with exports. In the same period last year, exports had totalled US$ 1.117 billion. The average price of shoes sold rose 3%, to US$ 11.08.
Some countries, however, had growth in orders placed by Brazil. Purchases from the neighbouring Argentina rose from 6.1 million pairs to 7.1 million pairs. The total of shoes bought from Italy rose from 4.2 million pairs to 5.1 million, and Venezuela expanded its sales from 5 million pairs to 5.4 million pairs.
The state of São Paulo was the one whose exports dropped most from January to July this year, both in physical volume and revenues. In 2008, the state of São Paulo traded 6.7 million pairs from abroad against 9.5 million pairs in 2007, with reduction of 28.7%. Revenues totalled US$ 111.6 million against US$ 116.6 million last year, a reduction of 4.3%.
*Translated by Mark Ament
