Latin American Footwear: moving towards integration
The event was organized by the Colombian Association of Footwear, Leather and its Manufactured Goods Industrialists (ACICAM), in cooperation with the Association of Footwear Chambers of Latin America (ACCAL). The latter entity brings together thirteen Latin American countries through chambers and associations related to the leather, footwear, and components value chain.
The meeting took place in the city of San Jose de Cucuta, in the department of Norte de Santander. Among its main characteristics, it stands out as an important footwear cluster and a center of economic development. Additionally, it serves as a strategic point of integration between Venezuela and Colombia, being a border city.
The Cúcuta Chamber of Commerce and the Cúcuta City Hall provided support and were recognized by participating countries for their commitment, as well as the Norte de Santander Governorate.
The event gathered representatives from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Venezuela, and the host country.
Over the course of two days, discussions among leaders addressed the situation of the footwear sector in different countries, shared experiences with sustainable practices, and promoted legitimate intra-regional trade to strengthen the industry's integration ties within the region.
The same topics were further explored in detail during various conferences and panel discussions conducted by the representatives.
The diverse presentations took place at the Hotel Casino Internacional. After the speeches of the organizers, the Cúcuta City Hall, and the Fiscal and Customs Police (POLFA), a discussion was held to share the situation of the footwear sector in each country.
On the first day, presentations were made by the Salvadoran Association of Footwear Producers and Related Industries (El Salvador); National Chamber of Footwear (Ecuador); Chamber of Footwear Industry (Argentina); Chamber of Leather, Footwear and Related Industrialists, Trade Union Federation (Chile); Chamber of Footwear Industry of Uruguay (Uruguay); Venezuelan Chamber of Footwear and Components (Venezuela).
On Friday, the 23rd, presentations were made by the Chamber of Footwear Industry of the State of Guanajuato (Mexico); Trade Union of Footwear Manufacturers and Related Products (Guatemala); Brazilian Footwear Industries Association (Brazil); Chamber of Leather and Footwear of Nicaragua (Nicaragua), and ACICAM.
The program also included a conference by the consulting firm RADDAR on footwear consumption in Latin America, sustainability talks, and panels on the global footwear market and footwear technologies.
Prior to the Forum, William Parrado, the Director of Economic Research and Projects at ACICAM, stated, "Footwear trade in Latin America is gaining momentum, which is why we must analyze the current dynamics of our markets and seek integration processes within the footwear sector's value chain in this space."
Daniel Risafi, General Coordinator of ACCAL, highlighted that "our region ranks as the second-largest global footwear producer, surpassing both Africa and Europe in terms of production volume. This is a significant achievement for our industry and demonstrates the potential and importance we have in the global footwear landscape. However, we cannot be content with our current achievements; we must improve and consolidate our position by investing in technology, innovation, and capacity development to stay at the forefront of the industry."
Germán González Cubillo, the Executive President of ACICAM, emphasized that "the Latin American Footwear Forum is an integration platform where we share experiences with our counterparts and observe the sector's situation in other countries in the region. We also have the attendance of Colombian footwear entrepreneurs and key actors in our chain."
On the last day of the event, a face-to-face and virtual meeting was held among sector representatives, resulting in the signing of the Agreement Document.
The agreed points included a commitment to sharing experiences from each country, along with the creation of spreadsheets containing figures related to production, employment, consumption, exports, and imports on a semi-annual basis.
Simultaneously, ABICALÇADOS will work on developing a sustainability project with essential information to be disseminated in primary education. Mechanisms for balanced, fair and sustainable development of the Latin American Footwear Bloc will also be sought to strengthen its relevance.
In an effort to assist the chambers of Guatemala and El Salvador, documentation proving the importation of used footwear, which is prohibited, and its entry by pairs rather than weight is required.
The members of ACCAL expressed their rejection of unfair and illegal practices carried out in international trade.
Additionally, the chambers will provide significant information for publication on ACCAL's website to make it a reference point for the region's footwear industry and ensure the continuity of this digital project.
The signatories of the Final Agreement were Horacio Moschetto from CIC-Argentina; Haroldo Ferreira from ABICALÇADOS Brazil; Germán González from ACICAM Colombia; Miguel Gutiérrez from CALTU Ecuador; Mario Mejía from GRECALZA Guatemala; Mauricio Battaglia Velázquez from CICEG/CANAICAL Mexico; Alejandro Delgado from CANCUNIC Nicaragua; Alejandro Biasolli from CICU Uruguay; Tony Di Benedetto from CAVECAL Venezuela; and Daniel Risafi from CIC Argentina, and ACCAL coordinator.
In 2024, the 26th Latin American Footwear Forum will take place in São Paulo, Brazil. The month has been chosen as May, with a more specific date to be defined by ABICALÇADOS.
Similarly, Mexico has put forward its candidacy to host the 2025 edition, to be organized by CICEG/CANAICAL.
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