Data released by the Brazilian association of leather, footwear and component companies (Assintecal) shows that, in the first seven months of the year, yellow and green footwear components exports (including chemicals, heels, soles, insoles, uppers, etc.) generated 253 million US dollars, up by 20%, as compared to the same period of last year. On a comparable basis to 2019 and 2020, exports grew by 18% and 37%, respectively, which demonstrates a full recovery from the losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Assintecal's international market manager, Luiz Ribas Júnior, highlighted that exports were underpinned by an increase in global demand for footwear. However, the country also benefited from "higher freight costs and difficulties in supplying components from Asia, which prompted neighbouring countries to buy more from Brazil".

Between January and July 2022, the items most exported by Brazil were chemicals for leather, worth 114.6 million US dollars, up by 10%, followed by uppers, which grew by 22% to 70.6 million US dollars, and footwear chemicals/adhesives, increasing by 27.3% to 27.3 million US dollars, on a comparable basis to the same period of the last year. These were tracked by soles, worth 17 million US dollars (up by 56%), and synthetic laminates in the value of 10.5 million US dollars (up by 27%).

Main Export Markets

Argentina was the main destination market in the first seven months of the current year, purchasing 56.3 million US dollars' worth of footwear components, up by 41%, on a comparable basis to the same period of 2021. China was the second main export market, generating 53.8 million US dollars in these seven months, which reflects an increase of 53.%, year-over-year, followed by Portugal, whose imports of Brazilian footwear components totalled 31.6 million US dollars (up by 52%).

Brazilian Footwear Industry

The World Footwear 2022 Yearbook (more information available HERE) shows that Brazil ranks 5^th among footwear producers worldwide. After a difficult period in 2020, the footwear industry recovered in 2021 encouraged by exports that have benefited from increased demand in the USA due to the tariffs imposed on Chinese footwear. Nonetheless, the domestic market is still depressed, and imports were the lowest in a decade.