Brazilian manufacturers of machinery and components for shoes will count on US$ 14.2 million to promote their products abroad. The Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brazil), an organization linked to the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Trade, announced the agreement, this Wednesday, July 11, during the 39th Francal.
Francal, Latin America's largest shoe fair, started on July 10, in the capital of the southeastern Brazilian state of São Paulo.
According to information supplied by the president of Apex-Brazil, Alessandro Teixeira, the agency will allot US$ 5.5 million to the Brazilian Association of Shoe and Leather Components Industries (Assintecal), and US$ 791,600 to the Brazilian Association of Industries of Machinery and Equipment for Leather, Footwear and Related Products (Abrameq).
The associations will invest on the project as well: 2.9 million reais (US$ 1.5 million) by the Abrameq and US$ 1.1 million by the Assintecal.
In all. US$ 14.2 million will be spent in order to provide training at companies for exporting and promoting the image of Brazil in the international market.
Component manufacturers will attempt to increase their international market share by adding design, technology, and originality to their products. The goal is to have exports by the 260 companies that are part of the project rise from US$ 900 million to US$ 1.15 billion by December 2008.
The partnership with the Abrameq is aimed at inserting an ever-growing number of small and medium-sized companies in the segment into the global market, encouraging product improvement, and thus strengthening the image of Brazil as a supplier of machinery and equipment for shoe manufacturing. Foreign sales by the 31 companies participating in the project are expected to reach US$ 12 million by June 2009.
According to Alessandro Teixeira, the Apex-Brazil is already investing in the production chain for leather and shoes. Apex is the Brazilian government's agency in charge of promoting domestic products in foreign countries.
Besides these new projects, the sector already counts on support form the Apex-Brazil in other partnerships, some of them aimed at promoting Brazilian shoes in the international market.
"Ever since the sector started counting on support from the Apex-Brazil, in 2000, there has been an increase of 350% in exports by the leather-shoe sector," said the president of Assintecal, Luis Cláudio Amaral.
The Francal, where the agreement was announced, will continue until Friday, July 13, at the Anhembi Exhibition Pavilion. The fair should receive 60,000 visitors, including importers.
Anba
