Boosted by the US, footwear exports grew 68% until April

Footwear exports continue on an upward trend this past April. Data by the Brazilian Association of Footwear Industries (Abicalçados) indicate that, between January and April, 53.72 million pairs were shipped abroad, for which US$ 434.65 million were paid, registering increases in volume (+32, 6%) and in revenue (+68.2) compared to the same period last year.

Compared to the same period in 2019, before the pandemic hit, growth was 24.8% in pairs and 26.7% in revenue. In April alone, 13 million pairs were shipped, and footwear exports generated US$ 114 million, up 52.4% in volume and 75.4% in revenue vis-a-vis the same month of 2021. According to Abicalçados, this is the best April result in 14 years.

The chief executive of Abicalçados, Haroldo Ferreira, points out that the increase in exports to the United States was fundamental to attaining such a positive performance. In April, 2.5 million pairs were shipped there, which generated US$ 30.57 million, up 147.2% and 130.3%, respectively, compared to the same month of 2021.

“Our main historic destination, the United States, has significantly impacted the export balance. There is a movement toward rethinking sources in the US market so that the United States can grow less dependent on Asian imports. Logistical problems, evidenced by the Covid-19 pandemic, especially concerning freight costs, and the surcharge on Chinese footwear, were decisive. In addition, North American consumers are increasingly looking for footwear produced respecting ESG, an arena in which our products stand out internationally,” evaluates the chief executive, noting that, today, shoe exports to that location account for more than 30% of the total (in revenue generated).

For the four months of the year, the sector’s exports to the United States increased 100% in volume and 122.7% in revenue (to 8.52 million pairs and US$ 119.3 million). Ferreira also highlights the increase in average prices for exported footwear, returning to the levels in 2019 after drops over the last two years. In the quarter, the average value was US$ 8.80 per pair shipped abroad. “The sector has been consolidating its position in international trade while managing to regain the average price, measured in dollars,” he says.

See below the track record of Brazilian footwear exports to the United States from January 2021 to March 2022. These data are from Datamar’s DataLiner.

Footwear exports to the US | 2021 – March 2022 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Argentina

Argentina has also been a pleasant surprise for the industry. With a gradual increase in imports of Brazilian shoes since the pandemic began to cool down in the first quarter of the year, Argentina bought 5.4 million Brazilian pairs, generating US$ 57.4 million in earnings for Brazil, 70% and 100.4% increments compared to the same interval in 2021 and the best result since 1997.

In April alone, the Argentine imported 2.2 million Brazilian pairs, for which US$ 21.22 million were paid, up 131.5% and 156.3% compared to the fourth month of 2021. “Brazil represented 48% of all pairs of shoes imported by Argentina in the first four months, 13 percentage points more than in 2019,” informs Ferreira.

France appears in the third position among importers with less expansive growth than the first two destinations of Brazilian footwear abroad. In the quarter, shoe exports to France totaled 3.68 million pairs, which generated US$ 25.53 million, an increase of 33.4% in volume and 31% in dollars compared to the same period last year. Furthermore, considering April alone, the French imported 571,8 thousand Brazilian pairs, for which they were paid US$ 5 million, increasing 9.2% and 0.4%, respectively, compared to last year.

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