Porto, Portugal, Feb. 10, 2026 (Lusa) - Portuguese footwear exports increased by 1.8% in volume and 0.8% in value in 2025 compared to 2024, to 68 million pairs and €1.718 billion, the sector association APICCAPS announced on Tuesday.
Based on data from the National Statistics Institute, the Portuguese Association of Footwear, Components, Leather Goods and Their Substitutes (APICCAPS) speaks of "a moderate but still positive evolution in a particularly demanding environment for international trade".
"In a global context marked by high economic and commercial instability, the Portuguese footwear industry ended 2025 on a positive note, bucking the international trend recorded by the world's leading producers," it said in a statement.
In 2024, according to the latest National Statistics Institute (INE) data, Portuguese footwear exported 66.7 million pairs worth €1.705 billion.
Last year, APICCAPS highlighted the performance of Portuguese footwear compared to its main international competitors, noting that "countries traditionally dominant in the sector recorded declines in exports, namely two of Portugal's main direct competitors": Italy, whose exports fell by 1% in value, and Spain, where the decline was 3%.
Among the world's major producers, the association also notes that China - responsible for more than 50% of global production - recorded an 11% decline, while Turkey saw a 13% drop and Brazil suffered a contraction of close to 2%.
In 2025, the Portuguese footwear sector maintained sustained growth, mainly due to performance in European markets, which grew by 3.3% to €1.42 billion.
The association highlights the effort made to try to "mitigate the effects of instability" in the US market, ensuring that if performance in this country had met expectations, the sector's final results in 2025 would have been more significant.
"Indeed, it was in the United States that Portuguese footwear faced the greatest difficulties in 2025, recording a 12.3% drop to €84 million," it said.
Quoted in the press release, APICCAPS executive director Paulo Gonçalves believes that last year's results "demonstrate the adaptability and competitiveness of the Portuguese footwear industry in a particularly difficult international context".
"The sector faces a global scenario marked by growing uncertainty and commercial volatility, with reference markets such as Germany and France showing signs of slow and moderate recovery, while a situation of strong instability persists in the United States," he explains.
He also points out that independent European retailers continue "to undergo a very significant restructuring process, with the disappearance of thousands of points of sale, which has greatly penalised Portuguese companies".
According to Paulo Gonçalves, these results "confirm the importance of Portuguese industry's focus on segments with higher added value, prioritising quality, design, innovation and rapid response to markets".
Even so, he warns that "maintaining international competitiveness requires companies to continue their ongoing efforts to modernise, invest and adapt to the new dynamics of global trade".
PD/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
