Portugal is “only footwear industry in Europe” to increase production
The Portuguese footwear industry has overtaken Spain to become the second largest footwear producer in Europe, with 85 million pairs manufactured in 2022 – two million more than Spanish competitors, the sector association has announced.
Based on final results for 2022 calculated by Eurostat, the Portuguese Association of Footwear, Components, Leather Goods and Related Products (APICCAPS) explains that in the last decade, footwear production in Portugal has increased by 14.4% (from 74 to 85 million pairs), which compares with a 14% drop (from 97 to 83 million) in the Spanish industry.
“Only Italy is better, although year after year it is losing ground to Portugal,” the association adds in a statement, detailing that “the Italian industry has taken a step backwards” and has decreased by 18.6% since 2012, to 162 million pairs produced in 2022, “far from the 199 million a decade earlier”.
The association also points out that, “in practical terms” Portugal is the only country that has increased its footwear production in Europe.
As a result, Portugal’s share of European production increased by 34.3% (to 17.1% of the total).
Quoted in the statement, Luís Onofre, president of APICCAPS and a leading designer himself, said that this evolution reflects “the continued investment of the footwear sector in Portugal in defining an ambitious vision and in adjusted public policies, which have allowed the sector to reposition itself on the international competitive scene”.
“Regardless of the complex economic cycles, we continue to believe in the future of our industry,” says Onofre, highlighting investment planned until the end of the decade as “further proof of the sector’s confidence in the future”.
“It’s important to emphasise that we have two major projects underway as part of the PRR (Plan for Recovery and Resilience), which involve an investment of €140 million by the end of next year, and by the end of the decade, as part of the new Strategic Plan, we intend to invest €600 million,” he said.
According to data provided by APICCAPS, there are currently 6,381 footwear companies registered in Italy (down 25.8% in a decade), 2,808 in Spain (down 16.1% since 2012) and 2,428 in Portugal (down 5%).
The three countries together account for almost 70% of European footwear production.
Portuguese footwear exports fell by 11.3% in quantity and 8.2% in value in 2023, compared to the record year of 2022 – with 66 million pairs of shoes sold for €1.84 billion.
According to APICCAPS, “the international economic slowdown, particularly in major markets such as Germany, France and the USA, has heavily penalised the footwear sector abroad” over the past year.
LUSA
