In 2018, furniture manufacturers in Bento Gonçalves, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, earned $42.6 million from exports a 12.5% increase over 2017, according to Bento Gonçalves Furniture Industry Union (Sindmóveis).
In the first two months of 2019 companies in the region sealed export contracts worth $61 million an increase of 34.4% over the same period of the previous year, as ITTO reported.
Sindmóveis estimates that international sales for 2019 are expected to grow by 14% to about $50 million.
The Latin American countries are the main destinations for furniture produced in Bento Gonçalves. Uruguay was the biggest buyer last year, followed by Peru and Chile. Latin American markets are attractive to companies in Bento Gonçalves because the competition is lower than in Europe.
However, countries like Saudi Arabia and the United States are good markets and in the first two months of 2019 the main export markets were in North America.
