Desafios do APL de confecções da 44 em Goiânia(GO) (2014-2021)

Abstract

This study analyzes the impacts of the 2014 crises and the Covid-19 pandemic on the Clothing Local Productive Arrangement (APL) in the 44th street area, Goiânia. It uses data from RAIS/MTE, PIA/IBGE, and Comex Stat to demonstrate the effects of the crises and the growing competition from Chinese products on the Brazilian and Goiás clothing industry during 2014-2021. The research is based on a small number of qualitative interviews with active entrepreneurs in the two most significant groups of producers/wholesalers in the arrangement: formalized retailers operating in galleries and shopping centers in the region, and owners of stalls at the Hippie Fair, as well as outsourced seamstresses, to analyze the specificities of the productive activity in that territory and its challenges in the face of the crisis. It concludes that there was a significant decline in turnover and reduction in companies' profit margins, exacerbated by the intensification of Asian competition with the rapid expansion of marketplaces like Shein and Shopee during the pandemic. Despite the recovery that began in 2021, APL companies face major difficulties in restoring their margins and previous turnover levels, finding outsourced workers as many left the activity during the pandemic, and ensuring their competitiveness against imports, due to the significant rise in costs.