During the first semester of 2017, Portugal exported 43.0 million pairs of shoes valued at 959.7 million euros, growing by 7.4% in volume and 6.4% in value. If this performance continues until the end of the year, 2017 it will be the 8th consecutive year of growth for Portuguese footwear industry and its exports.

The EU continues to be the main destination for Portuguese footwear: 38.2 million pairs with a total value of 829.8 million euros headed other European countries in the first half of the year. However, there has been a decline in its share in total value: the EU now represents 86.5% of total footwear exports while in the first half of 2016 it represented 87.4%. This reflects the efforts developed by the Portuguese Industry and its companies to diversify its destination markets.

Breaking down by destination country, main clients of Portuguese footwear are France (202.9 million euros), Germany (181.4 million euros), Netherlands (136 million euros), Spain (90.9 million euros) and the UK (57.0 million euros). In this period, Portuguese exports grew positively in almost all European Union markets.

Outside the EU, markets as South Korea (+51.8%), Canada (+30.6%), Japan (+6.7%) and US (+6.5%) should be highlighted as some of the countries to where Portuguese exports have been showing most dynamic growth rates. Angola and Russia, important markets for the Portuguese footwear industry impacted by deep economic trouble in the last few years, are now recovering showing high rate of exports growth.

Portuguese footwear exports represent 95% of the country’s total production and reach customers in 152 countries.