According to data from Statistics Portugal (INE), the leather goods sector exported more than 353 million euros last year, down 3.8% on the previous year, despite growth of 67.8% since 2020.
According to the Secretary of State for the Economy, João Rui Ferreira, during his official visit to the Micam international footwear fair in Milan a week ago: "Embracing 'Made in Portugal' is an important step towards elevating the country as a luxury producer," he said at the Milanese fair, which had a strong Portuguese presence, around 80 companies.
"We rank second globally by average price, but we still have a long way to go. The ambition shared by all is this: to be a sector of value, not of volume.
Louis Vuitton has been producing its designs in Portugal for more than a decade through its partner Atepeli - Ateliers de Portugal, which has been manufacturing leather goods components and luxury footwear since 2011, with factories in Lousada, Penafiel and Ponte de Lima. In 2020, it opened a new production facility in Santa Maria da Feira, specifically in São João de Ver, creating hundreds of jobs.
