The big news on Christmas eve was the announcement of the much-expected deal between the European Union and the UK, which will frame the way both parts live, work and trade together post-Brexit. Today we focus on the aspects concerning footwear trade   

In the first nine months of 2020 the Italian footwear industry saw a drop in production (-29.4%) and in sales (-33.1%). According to Assocalzaturifici Chair Siro Badon the timid return to normality was impacted by the second wave of the pandemic in the country   

The Portuguese Footwear Association has launched a new promotional video presenting the competitive arguments of the Portuguese footwear industry. Check it out here   

The Centre for Retail Research found that a total of 176 718 retail jobs were lost in 2020. The same source is predicting a loss of an additional 200 000 jobs in 2021   

The country's exports declined marginally by 0.8% to 26.89 billion US dollars in December 2020, due to the contraction registered in sectors like petroleum, leather and marine products, according to preliminary data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry