The trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union, which began provisional application on May, is raising expectations among exporters and buyers from the bloc who will attend the 7th edition of BFSHOW. Organized by the Brazilian Footwear Industry and Trade Association (Abicalçados) and NürnbergMesse Brasil (NMB), Latin America’s largest footwear trade show will take place November 10–12 at Distrito Anhembi in São Paulo, Brazil.

Data compiled by Abicalçados support the optimism of Brazilian exporters who will be exhibiting at the footwear trade show. According to Haroldo Ferreira, the association’s CEO, since May, the average import tariff on Brazilian footwear entering the European Union has fallen by 1.4 percentage points, from 10.7% to 9.3%. “This average will drop to 8.2% in January 2027, as part of the ten-year period established for the full elimination of tariffs,” the executive explains.

During the period in which the trade agreement has been in force, from May to September, exports to Europe totaled 2.8 million pairs and US$ 29.6 million, increasing both in volume (+7%) and revenue (+17.5%) compared with the same period last year. “The agreement may have brought trading partners closer together and initiated a gradual recovery in the market,” Ferreira says.

Buyer Program
BFSHOW is expected to attract more than 10,500 buyers, approximately 10% of whom will be international. To strengthen the presence of key industry players, Abicalçados, in partnership with the trade show and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil), is organizing another edition of the International Buyer Program. For the November event, more than 200 importers from 45 countries have been invited, marking a record high. The invited European buyers are from Germany, Croatia, Spain, France, Greece, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and Serbia.

Positive Outlook
One of the international buyers invited to BFSHOW is Vishal Sonwane, CEO of DigiKraft GmbH, based in Germany, and Herzo Kraft, based in the United Arab Emirates. Together, the companies operate as brand distributors and retailers, offering a carefully selected portfolio of international sportswear and footwear brands. They have a presence on Amazon, TikTok, and major e-commerce platforms across the European Union and the United Arab Emirates.

Although he does not yet do business with Brazil, Sonwane is optimistic about participating in Latin America’s largest footwear trade show. “We look forward to finding interesting and relevant offerings for the Middle Eastern and German markets,” he says. Expectations are even more positive for Germany, given the trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur. “The agreement is a significant step forward that we are actively considering in our sourcing strategy. Although we have not yet started purchasing Brazilian products, the reduction in trade barriers makes Brazilian footwear considerably more competitive in terms of pricing and delivery times for our markets,” he adds.

Manuel Alves, a buyer for Masalves Calçado Unipessoal, says the Portuguese company works directly with several suppliers and indirectly through Brazilian representatives, importing approximately US$ 750,000 worth of products annually. According to Alves, although the agreement has not yet had a significant impact, as the full tariff phase-out is scheduled to take ten years, purchases from Brazil are expected to increase in the coming years. “Our estimate is that purchases from Mercosur will be maintained and strengthened,” Alves says. He adds that the company expects to purchase 25% to 30% more at the November edition than at the May trade show. “Purchases made at BFSHOW account for an increasingly significant share of our company’s international sourcing,” the buyer concludes. Masalves operates 27 physical stores and an online store in Portugal.

The Trade Show
With more than 300 Brazilian brands, BFSHOW is regarded as the leading showcase for Brazilian footwear on the global stage. Over the course of the three-day event, the trade show will welcome thousands of industry players from across Brazil and around the world.

Event Information
7th BFSHOW
Date: November 10–12, 2026 (Tuesday through Thursday)
Opening Hours: November 10 and 11, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; November 12, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Venue: Distrito Anhembi, São Paulo, Brazil