Footwear industry loses 21 thousand jobs over increased imports

The footwear industry in Brazil terminated 20,750 jobs in 2023, the largest number of lost job positions since the pandemic in 2020, when the industry lost 23,000 workers, according to the Brazilian Footwear Industry Association (Abicalçados). Companies in the sector ended the year with 275,580 workers, 7% fewer than in 2022.

According to Abicalçados President Haroldo Ferreira, the sector suffered from an economic slowdown characterized by a decline in exports and an increase in imports from Asia.

The chart below shows imports of footwear into Brazil between Jan 2020 and Dec 2023. The data is from DataLiner.

Brazilian Footwear Imports | Jan 2020 – Dec 2023 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

In 2023, imports totaled 28.36 million pairs and $442.73 million, increases of 9.8% and 20.6%, respectively. According to Abicalçados, these figures do not include purchases from digital platforms. “We have already alerted the government about unfair competition and its impacts, but so far, no action has been taken,” Ferreira added.

Source: Estadão

Click here to view the original text: https://www.estadao.com.br/economia/coluna-do-broad/industria-calcadista-fecha-21-mil-vagas-e-culpa-importacoes/

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