Revenues from Brazilian footwear exports increased by 3% in the first quarter of 2006 compared with the same period in 2005.

The Brazilian Association of Shoe Manufacturers (Abicalçados) attributed the higher revenues to an increase in the average price per pair of shoes, which rose to $8.74—7% higher than last year. The volume of footwear exported in the first quarter fell 4% to 57.4 million pairs.

Turnover for the first three months of 2006 reached $502 million compared with $489.4 million in the comparable period of last year.