In the first half on 2005, Brazil exported leather worth $720,400 to Tunisia, representing a 514 per cent increase from $117,400 in the January-July period of 2004.
This positive result is attributed to the effectiveness of Apex, a partnership between the Brazilian Export Promotions Agency and Tunisia that was initiated in 2002.The country has a free trade agreement with the European Union and ambitious plans regarding footwear production for the EU region.
In the first half of this year Brazil exported a total of $630.1 million worth of leather, a rise of 7.2 per cent from $675.5 million in 2004. Most of these exports went to Italy, China, Hong Kong and the USA. The leather and footwear sectors provide 500,000 jobs in the country.
