|
|
Article: BRAZILIAN FIRMS FACE TOUGH TIMES.
- Article from:
- Footwear News
- Article date:
- January 29, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 Conde Nast Publications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Byline: MIKE KEPP
So Paulo, Brazil - Cutthroat competition from China coupled with continuing currency woes is forcing Brazilian footwear producers to consider new alternatives for survival - and a few companies here are even shifting some production to Asia for the first time.
At the recent Couromoda fair, held here Jan. 15-18, exhibitors continued to describe a deteriorating export business that is hurting sales to the U.S. market. (The U.S., which accounted for 50 percent of Brazilian footwear export volume in 2005, only accounted for 46 percent in 2006.) "If the dollar weakens further against the real in 2007, which is possible, this year will be ...