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São Paulo – Rio de Janeiro more than doubled beach fashion exports to the Middle East and North Africa last year. In 2012, the state earned the equivalent to US$ 88,000 in bikini, bathing suit and swimming trunk sales to the region, 131% more than obtained in 2011.<\/p>\n
Exports to the Arab countries represented just 2% of the total beach fashion exported last year, but they confirm the tendency for expressive growth. “In the last decade, exports (to the Arabs) reached 623%,” said Cláudia Teixeira Santos, a specialist in Foreign Trade at the Federation of Industries of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Firjan).<\/p>\n
“Apart from that, the countries of the League of Arab States consume Rio de Janeiro state beach fashion with higher added value, US$ 260 per kilogram, and had 432% growth in terms of the volume exported over the last decade,” said Santos. The average price of beach fashion sold by Rio de Janeiro last year was US$ 154 per kilogram.<\/p>\n
In the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates was the main destination for Rio de Janeiro beach fashion exports in 2012, with US$ 49,000, representing 56% of purchases made by the Arab countries. “The bikinis, bathing suits and swimming trunks exported to the country had higher average prices, US$ 323 per kilogram. Then, in 2012, exports to Lebanon were prominent, US$ 34,000, at an average price of US$ 210 per kilogram,” says the Firjan specialist.<\/p>\n
In total, Rio de Janeiro state beach fashion exports totalled US$ 5.4 million in 2012. With this, the state became the main exporter in the sector in Brazil, answering to 49% of foreign sales in the sector, exceeding São Paulo, which occupied the first position in the past.<\/p>\n
According to Firjan, over the last 10 years, while Brazilian beach fashion exports dropped 25%, the state of Rio presented growth of 8% in sector foreign sales. From 2011 to 2012, Rio de Janeiro state beach fashion exports rose 19%, while São Paulo had a 29% reduction and the whole of Brazil, 7%.<\/p>\n
The main Rio de Janeiro state destination for beach fashion was the United States, which has been in the same position for 10 years. In 2003, the country represented 62% of total beach fashion exported by the state, while in 2012, this participation dropped 45%. According to Firjan, this reduction reflects diversification of destinations for state sales.<\/p>\n
*Translated by Mark Ament<\/strong><\/p>\n