The Colombian market for components, leather and footwear was the topic of the first meeting of the Export Group of the Brazilian Association of Companies of Components for Leather, Footwear and Artifacts (Assintecal) held this morning (13). The meeting took place online and featured a presentation by the executive vice president of Acicam (Colombian footwear association), Willian Parrado.

Parrado highlighted the strength of the Colombian industry, despite the decline in production and sales throughout 2024. With production and consumption estimated at 75 million and 120 million pairs, respectively, the industry saw its production plummet 4.8% last year, while consumption fell 4.9%. However, the expectation is for recovery by 2025, both in production and consumption, which opens space for an increase in imports of raw materials. Currently, the main sources of imports of footwear and its parts in Colombia are China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Brazil.

The talk also included the participation of Marcela Cifuentes, director of the Colombian footwear and components fair IFLS+EICI, which traditionally hosts Brazilian companies associated with Assintecal supported by Brazilian Materials, a program carried out in conjunction with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil). According to her, the most recent edition of the fair, held in February, had more than 430 exhibitors from four countries, a visit by more than 10 thousand buyers and deals worth over US$ 12 million.

The Group

The Assintecal Export Group was created to discuss opportunities in markets relevant to the chemical products and components sector, in discussions that bring together experts and count on the active participation of companies associated with the entity. The group’s next meeting will take place at the end of April.