According to the city’s footwear manufacturers’ association, Franca in the state of São Paulo is now Brazil’s second largest shoe manufacturing cluster.

Reflecting the wider national picture, the city's export output was down 4.5% in volume and 4% in value during the first nine months of 2002, to 4.9 billion pairs and $64 billion respectively. The average price per pair meanwhile fell 4% from $17.27 to $16.58 - the main export destination being the USA, which accounted for 86% of all output worth $55 billion. Total sales (both imports and exports) were down 8.39% on the year before.

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