Leather & footwear sector posts creditable performance for 2005
18 Jan '06
1 min read
The Brazilian leather and footwear sector recorded exports worth US $80 billion and combining with a strong domestic sales, posted a creditable performance for 2005, conveyed the Minister of Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade, Luiz Fernando Furlan.
He further stated that the overall export target this year has been set at US $132 billion.
Increase in sales and revenues were attributed to the efforts of Exports and Investments Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil), informed the Minister at the opening of the 33rd International Footwear, Sporting Goods, and Leather Goods Fair (Couromoda), in São Paulo.
Furlan further said, that losses of about US $90 million, was reported from North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA), while Chile and Argentina, reported declines by million pairs of shoes each.
The Couromoda this year, will be held till Thursday, January 19, 2006. It will have 1,200 exhibitors whose yearly output is almost 700 million pairs of shoes amounting to 90 percent annual production of Brazil.
The fair is taking place in the Anhembi Exposition Hall, where about 3000 brands of leather and footwear are displayed.
The participants in the fair are from 15 Brazilian states along with 18 foreign exhibitors.