São Paulo – The volume of Brazilian shoe imports from Morocco from January to August doubled when compared to the same period last year. The Arab country exported approximately 4,000 pairs to Brazil. Sales totalled US$ 282,000 in the first eight months of the year, against US$ 77,000 in the same period in 2007. Morocco was one of the 15 main Brazilian suppliers of shoes.
In total, Brazilian foreign purchases of shoes grew 56.4%. Brazil imported US$ 204.4 million, 55.7% more than in the first eight months of 2007. The figures were supplied by the Brazilian Association of Shoe Manufacturers (Abicalçados).
The main Brazilian supplier was China, with 23.5 million pairs, an increase of 62%. Chinese exports totalled US$ 146.4 million, representing growth of 63%. Vietnam came in second place, with 2.1 million pairs exported, followed by Indonesia, with 517,000 pairs.
Brazilian imports came from over 40 countries and another Arab country in the Abicalçados list is Tunisia, which shipped 576 pairs to Brazil, for the value of US$ 72,400 from January to August this year.
Synthetic shoes led the Brazilian purchases, with 13.1 million pairs. They also generated the greatest value: US$ 88.8 million. In second place came textile shoes, with 6.4 million pairs.
Exports
On the other hand, Brazilian exports of shoes totalled US$ 1.3 billion, growth of just 0.5% over the first eight months of last year. Shipments totalled 113.8 million pairs, which represented a reduction of 4.2%.
According to information supplied by the Abicalçados, exports decreased by five million pairs, mainly from the states that operate in the sector of higher value-added products, like Rio Grande do Sul, which had a reduction of 24.28%, São Paulo (a 28.23% drop) and Minas Gerais (26.49% less).
The main reason for the reduction of shipments is the dollar/real exchange rate, as the depreciation of the American currency has made the prices of Brazilian shoes less competitive abroad.
The main buyers of Brazilian shoes were the United States, with imports of US$ 343.8 million in value and 28.3 million pairs, the United Kingdom, with US$ 176.2 million and 7.4 million pairs, and Argentina, with US$ 120.2 million paid for 9 million pairs.
Shoes with synthetic uppers, i.e., with rubber, plastic or straps, were those most exported in the period. The sector shipped 65.6 million pairs. Then came leather shoes, with 39.7 million.
*Translated by Mark Ament
