Brazil footwear exports total US$ 1.2 billion up to November

Data gathered from Brazil’s Foreign Trade Secretariat (Secex) and disclosed by the footwear industry association Abicalçados reveal that, between January and November, sector exports totaled 129.2 million pairs and generated US$ 1.2 billion, up from 16.7% in volume and 49% in revenue compared to the same period last year. In November alone, 10 million pairs were shipped, generating US$ 95.5 million, representing a 13.4% decrease in shoe pairs and a 2.5% increase in revenue over the same month in 2021.

Haroldo Ferreira, executive president of Abicalçados, emphasized that, while the numbers of the last three months have shown signs of economic slowdown – a reduction in consumer purchasing power and the effects of China’s gradual reintegration into the market – the data still show a positive performance that is above the average from the overall Brazilian Manufacturing Industry.

“World GDP growth for 2022 has been revised down to 3.2% from 4.4%. Nonetheless, Brazilian footwear exports have maintained their average price ramp up, adding value to the export basket,” says the executive, noting that the average price of exported footwear was 9.2% higher in the first 11 months of the year than it was before the pandemic.

See below the track record of footwear exports in containers that left Brazil to its customers abroad, according to the DataLiner market intelligence service by Datamar.

Brazilian footwear exports | Jan 2019 – Oct 2022 | TEU

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Destinations

The United States, the primary export market for Brazilian footwear, is one of the primary reasons the sector has slowed down. “Throughout the year, market imports grew faster than North American retail could respond. The adjustment we’ve seen in recent months reflects lower local demand,” explains Ferreira, noting that exports to the region fell 44.4% in volume in November compared to the same period in 2021. Between January and November, 16.8 million pairs were shipped to the United States, generating US$ 310.8 million, representing an increase in both volumes (+24%) and revenue (+52%) over the same period last year.

The second destination for Brazilian footwear abroad was Argentina. Between January and November, the country imported 15 million pairs, for which US$ 168.7 million were paid, up 28.3% in volume and 67.2% in revenue compared to the same period in 2021.

The third destination in the first 11 months was France, where 5.83 million pairs were shipped for US$ 59.47 million, a 17.7% drop in volume and a 5% increase in values from last year.

Peaking imports from Asia

In November, footwear imports increased by 84.2% (to US$ 28.5 million), with most of the growth coming from Asian countries.

Between January and November, imports fell 3.5% in revenue and 9.8% in volume compared to the same period in 2021. As a result, imports totaled 23.57 million pairs and US$ 332.9 million during the period.

In the first 11 months of the year, the main origins of footwear imports were: Vietnam (7.37 million pairs and USD 156.45 million, increases of 1.2% and 10.6%, respectively, compared to 2021); Indonesia (2.8 million pairs and USD 56.23 million, increases of 20.4% and 26.7%); and China (9.6 million pairs and USD 45.8 million, increases of 15.7% and 43%).

Imports of footwear components – uppers, soles, heels, insoles, and so on – totaled US$ 25.4 million through November, an increase of 18% over the same period in 2021. China, Vietnam, and Paraguay were the primary countries of origin.

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