Rising footwear imports put pressure on Brazil's industry

Brazil's footwear industry is facing mounting pressure as footwear imports continue to rise, raising concerns over domestic production, employment, and fair trade practices.

According to data compiled by Abicalçados, based on figures from Brazil's Foreign Trade Secretariat (Secex), the country imported 25.9 million pairs of footwear during the first half of the year, valued at US$307 million. This represents a 15.9% increase in volume and a 13% rise in value compared with the same period last year. In June alone, imports reached 3 million pairs worth US$48.1 million, up 1% in volume and 7.6% in value year-on-year.

The sustained increase in imports is placing significant strain on Brazil's footwear industry. The domestic manufacturers are simultaneously dealing with a sluggish local market, declining export revenues, and intensifying competition from imported footwear, much of which the industry believes enters under trade practices considered unfair under World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, said , CEO Abicalçados ,Haroldo Ferreira

According to the association's estimates, the surge in imports prevented the creation of approximately 7,800 direct jobs in the footwear sector during the first six months of the year.

Asia remains the dominant source of imported footwear, accounting for 87.2% of all pairs imported by Brazil during the period. China continued to be the largest supplier, exporting 9.7 million pairs to Brazil worth US$26.5 million, representing year-on-year increases of 27.4% in volume and 13.3% in value. In June, imports from China totaled 408,430 pairs valued at US$4.14 million, rising 2.3% in volume and 22.9% in value compared with the same month last year.