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News and Updates

PALF 2021 Updates

  • Placing your safety at the heart of our event Pan African Leather Fair will be organized in accordance with Informa’s AllSecure health and safety standards. As the world’s leading events organizer, Informa has developed a detailed set of enhanced measures to provide the highest levels of hygiene and safety at its events, providing everyone with reassurance and confidence they are participating in a safe and controlled environment.
  • Pan African Leather Fair Postponed to June 2021 Since the international situation on COVID-19 started in late January, Informa Markets has been guided by local government and health authority advice, as well as the views of the communities we serve, in making decisions about our portfolio of events. Our commitment to serve and support our communities has led to the postponement/rescheduling of several events across our wider group.
  • Pan African leather fair to be held in Egypt Informa Exhibitions have announced the launch of Pan African Leather Fair to be held in June 2020, in Cairo.
  • Egypt to host Pan African Leather Fair in 2020 Egypt will host the new Pan African Leather Fair next year, an event organizers claim will help open the African and Middle Eastern leather markets to the entire value chain.
  • New Pan African Leather Fair Set for Cairo A new Pan African Leather Fair (PALF) was officially unveiled during the APLF in Hong Kong on March 13.
  • Africa - Upcoming Pan African Leather Fair can help consolifate Nigeria’s Leather Exports It is not just a question of internal development leading to production but also the marketing of Nigeria as a supplier of leather, mainly semi-finished on an international basis and to many countries in West Africa. This is where the upcoming Pan African Leather Fair (21 – 23 June in Cairo, Egypt) can provide a business platform for Nigeria’s leather exports and help expand its international customer base.

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Industry News





Plea for EU leather sector to add voice to chrome VI proposals

25 June 2020

Source: Leatherbiz.com

Leather UK director Kerry Senior has insisted it is very important that industry members respond to the European Commissions’ Committee for Socio-economic Analysis (SEAC) as they set out regulation on chrome VI in leather. He said: “The SEAC has published its draft opinion on the proposed Skin Sensitisers Regulation, noting the responses to the RAC consultation.


Leather Naturally announces new membership fee model

24 June 2020
Source: ILM

Leather Naturally (LN) said the new membership fee model should give access to smaller companies in the leather industry to join as a member. LN’s new membership fee model will start with an annual fee of US$250 for entrepreneurs, US$500 for companies with turnovers up to US$5 million, and US$1,000 for companies whose turnover does not exceed US$10 million. 


Environment - The Microfibre Disaster is already upon us.

24 June 2020
Source: APLF

This video of fewer than three minutes puts the problem of polyester and the resulting microfibres into perspective.The recycling of synthetics – whether it be clothes and plastic bottles is not the solution and this scourge eventually comes back to us as the video clearly demonstrates.


Industry bodies in Guanajuato to work together to speed recovery

22 June 2020

Source: Leatherbiz.com

A new, shared centre of intelligence for footwear and leathergoods manufacturers in the Mexican state of Guanajuato could be one of the fruits of a spirit of collaboration that is building up across different industry bodies there in the wake of covid-19.


Automotive - Asahi Kasei makes wrong assumption about leather and sustainability

19 June 2020
Source: APLF

Automotive interiors developer Asahi Kasei Europe has published the details of a recent survey it carried out with Cologne-based market research institute SKOPOS of car owners in Germany, France, the UK and Italy. A total 1,200 consumers took part, reports Leatherbiz. On seeing a report of the survey, industry body UK Leather immediately picked up on the suggested corollary between consumers’ desire for sustainable materials in car interiors and a decrease in demand for leather and drew the conclusion that, based on this survey, consumers do not recognise the sustainability of leather, particularly compared to synthetics.


Adidas business in China returns to growth

5 June 2020
Source: ILM

The global sportswear manufacturer said that, throughout May, it continued to execute its store reopening plan around the world and Greater China is the company’s first major market on the road to recovery, with all own- and partner-operated stores having been open since mid-April.


Bentley to cut 1,000 jobs in the UK

5 June 2020

Source: ILM

After Aston Martin, the luxury British marque could cut around 1,000 jobs in the UK, a quarter of its workforce, as it is impacted by declining sales due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Stahl: "Personal contact meets digital service at ACLE Shanghai"

4 June 2020
Source: Leather International

At this year’s All China Leather Exhibition, Shanghai (ACLE), Stahl will be present more than ever before. At the most important global leather fair Stahl will have an exhibition stand as always and will offer a series of digital webinars focusing on a range of relevant topics for various stakeholders and clients. The company is committed to supporting the leather industry during challenging times and will service customers who are present at the fair as well as those who will participate from around the world. 


Leather Pipeline: Wait-and-see attitude is paralysing supply chains

3 June 2020
Source: Leatherbiz.com

In our latest exclusive Leather Pipeline report, the author suggests time is running out for brands and retailers to make decisions about next season’s orders, and their wait-and-see approach means manufacturers are sitting on growing stocks. While there is “no crystal ball” to predict to what extent and when consumers will return to the pre-pandemic levels of purchasing, suppliers are having to let staff go as they take difficult decisions about how to keep their businesses afloat.


Stahl accelerates digital customer engagement implementation to uphold its high technical service level

20 May 2020
Source: Leather International

Stahl, world leader in specialty chemistry for coatings, processing and treatments for many everyday materials, has implemented several digital services to be able to uphold its high level of technical service for its customers in times of social distancing. As a result of COVID-19, Stahl has taken measures to prevent unnecessary direct contact with visitors, business partners and between colleagues. This includes video conference, webinars, live streams, LinkedIn Groups and direct e-mailing.


UNIC Defends Italian tanneries in Solofra After Political Attacks

18 May 2020
Source: ILM

“These companies are penalised, like everyone else, by the negative impact of Covid-19, which will lead to an estimated loss of turnover of between 40-50% at the end of the year, and have also recently found themselves subject to unfounded attacks regarding their alleged responsibility for the pollution of the Sarno river, by political forces that are obviously not aware of the reality of the territories. The tanneries are the first to wish that a definitive solution be found for environmental, ethical and economic reasons” said UNIC


Documentary highlights success of Soul of Africa initiative

14 May 2020

Source: Leatherbiz.com

Shoe brand Vivobarefoot is launching a marketing campaign and new style in its Soul of Africa range, handmade in Addis Ababa in a Pittards factory, using leather from the Pittards tannery.  “Soul of Africa is an initiative at the core of the Vivobarefoot mission,” said co-founder Galahad Clark. “Ethiopia is going through a fast-paced industrialisation and we are proud to be part of that with a transparent, socially responsible business.

Geox Sales Decline Due to COVID-19 led to the temporary closure of company stores worldwide.

12 May 2020

Source: ILM

The Italian footwear brand has reported sales of €182.9 million for the first quarter of 2020, down 29.9% at current rates and 30.2% at constant exchange rates. The company said it is working closely with its suppliers to reduce purchases for the upcoming autumn-winter collection as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. While production activities are said to have gradually recovered and all of Geox’s suppliers in China are now operational.Production activities in India are expected to resume on May 18, according to the provisions of local regulations.

ALLPI with CS-Cart to Strengthen Regional B2B Platform

Source: ALLPI.INT

CS.Cart has partnered with Africa Leather and Leather Products Institute (ALLPI) to setup a B2B platform to fast-track the trading process of African SMEs in the leather value chain.In response to COVID-19 Pandemic, CS-Cart is supporting industry associations and non-profits with free CS-Cart license to stimulate the slowed down business activities.


Animal welfare and leather manufacturers

27 April 2020

Most people are quite aware that leather comes from animals, just like the meat they eat and various other food products they consume. Yet, more and more, people ask themselves questions about animal welfare. What about the animal itself, its life and welfare? It’s not just a minor group of consumers, but businesses, organizations and political institutes desire clarity on the topic for a wide range of reasons. 


Tanneries in Italy will resume work again

27 April 2020

Source: Leatherbiz.com

Italy’s prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, has included leather manufacturers among a group of companies and organisations that can start work again after weeks of lockdown because of covid-19. On April 26, Mr Conte signed a decree confirming that Italy would move into a new phase of its reopening. 


Faurecia’s sales impacted by COVID-19 disruption

22 April 2020

Source: ILM

Reported sales for the automotive seating and components manufacturer declined 13.5% in the first quarter of the year. Faurecia has posted sales at constant scope and currencies down 19.7%, against a 23.6% decline in worldwide automotive production, as per the IHS Markit dated April 2020, representing an outperformance of 390bps. 


Positive signs are showing a potential return in the leather industry

21 April 2020

Source: Leatherbiz.com

Covid-19 continues to dominate our latest Leather Pipeline market intelligence report but there are signs that a return to higher levels of production of leather may be closer now.


Italian Tanners might Suffer a Loss of €500 Million due to Corona Virus

9 March 2020

According to Leatherbiz.com, Italy’s national leather industry association, UNIC, has estimated that the effects of the coronavirus outbreak could lead to a reduction in the combined turnover of Italian tanners of around 10% this year.
In commenting in the first week in March on the effect on business of the coronavirus, UNIC emphasised that the situation was evolving constantly and said it was impossible to put an exact figure on what the outbreak might cost in the long run.

International Trade - Key flaw in the US-China phase-one agreement

6 March 2020

The much-trumpeted phase-one agreement aimed at ending the trade tensions between the US and China is proving to be of little help so far to US exporters, reports Leatherbiz. In a detailed new report, non-profit research organisation The Peterson Institute for International Economics has said that, even without the effects of the coronavirus on the Chinese economy, it would have been difficult for China to meet a commitment on increased purchasing of US products.

Sea Freight - China Cargo Flows Rapidly Return To Pre-Coronavirus Levels

6 March 2020

Finally, some good news about the coronavirus and global supply chains: Cargo volumes and ship calls have swiftly rebounded at Chinese ports, confirming that the cogs of global trade are grinding back into motion. The caveat is that this was to be expected as Chinese port workers and truckers returned after an extended Chinese New Year (CNY) holiday. Inbound and outbound cargo delayed during the post-CNY period was already en route or contracted for transport.

Veg-tan leather and the vegans: COTANCE clarifies confusion

6 March 2020

Source: Leatherbiz.com

The leather industry’s representative body in the European Union, COTANCE, has issued a statement to clarify what vegetable tanned leather is.It said it felt the need to share the information because of confusion that has arisen between vegetable tanned leather and synthetic alternative products misusing the term ‘leather’ and juxtaposing it with ‘vegan’.Vegetable tanned leather is leather produced with tanning agents from the bark, fruit or leaves of certain trees and plants, COTANCE explained. 

How the COVID-19 outbreak is affecting the fashion industry

Véronique Saunier | 27 February 2020

Could the COVID-19 outbreak be a detonator for the mass relocation of industries? This could be one of the consequences of the production breakdown caused by the epidemic, according to The Economist’s business analysts.Since its initial identification in China in December 2019, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has taken thousands of lives, affecting more than 20 countries and making a significant impact on trade, travel and the global economy. During a webinar held by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), China Analyst, Dan Wang; Tom Rafferty, Principal Economist for China and Imogen Page-Jarrett, Research Analyst looked in detail at the recent coronavirus outbreak and the impact it is likely to have on the Chinese and worldwide economy and businesses.

Global leather-sector exports worth €212 billion

24 February 2020

Source: Leatherbiz.com

France’s national leather industry body, the Conseil National du Cuir, has published a far-reaching statistical analysis of the global leather industry in 2018. It explained that the time it took to obtain data from all the countries it wanted to include meant it was only now able to publish figures for 2018. It said China had one-third of global leather exports that year, Italy 11.9%, Vietnam 11.5% and France 5%.

Chemical company Stahl achieves highest certification for ZDHC Gateway compliance

21 February 2020

Source: Leather International

Specialty chemical company Stahl has achieved the highest level of ZDHC Gateway compliance for its wet-end and leather finishing portfolios. The aim of the ZDHC certification process is to help companies that work with the footwear, apparel and accessories industries exhibit their commitment to responsible chemical management, working towards the ultimate goal of the zero discharge of hazardous chemicals. 

Agfa and TFL join forces in innovative inkjet printing project for genuine leather

19 February 2020

Source: Leather International

TFL and Agfa have entered into a strategic partnership, focusing on the development of Alussa, a dedicated inkjet printing solution to decorate high-quality genuine leathers used by the fashion, upholstery, automotive, aviation and nautical industries. Alussa is the sum of a number of perfectly matched components. Agfa develops the inkjet printer and dedicated inkjet inks, while TFL provides custom-developed coating chemistry. 

Livestock is not bad for the planet

Mike Redwood | 07 November 2019

It is in such areas that we have seen a near tsunami of articles blaming cattle for climate change. These began in 2006 when the FAO published Livestock’s Long Shadow which looked at the environmental impact of livestock. To maximise the publicity for it the press release chose headlines that argued that livestock’s impact was greater than transport.


Sustainability - Benefits How a Sustainable Supply Chain Can Be Good for Both Planet and Profit

7 November 2019

Footwear News’ Madeleine Streets writes that as concerns about corporate sustainability performance spread across the footwear industry, so too do fears about the associated costs of going green

Raw Materials - Adding to plastic pollution now over 50 million hides are sent to landfill

07 November 2019

In information published by David Peters of DLP Advisors figures on the sending of low grade hides to the landfill are mentioned. These are hides whose cost of processing is higher than their final sales value when partly tanned.

Events - Chemical Management in Leather seminar

07 November 2019

Eurofins | BLC and Eurofins | AQM are offering a free technical seminar on ‘Addressing the Challenges of Chemical Management in the Leather and Textile Industry’, to be held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, on November 22, reports ILM.

UTIC Congress 2021 - Next 21stUITIC Footwear Congress will take place in China in 2021

06 November 2019

China Leather Industry Association (CLIA), has been selected by the UITIC Executive Committee to be in charge of organizing the 21st Congress in China in 2021, on behalf of the UITIC (International Union of Shoe Industry Technicians).

With a commercial network spreading over 60 countries around the world and a total turnover of over 140 million euros, the Italian company Silvateam is the world leader in the production, extraction and commercialization of vegetable extracts, tannins and their derivatives.  Today, it is benefitting greatly from the renewed interest in vegetable leather tanning, which had fallen in obsolescence but is now back into favour as it is deemed less harmful and less polluting than chrome tanning. This is a trend cheerfully endorsed by Antonio Battaglia, the company’s Leather Division Director and descendant of the founder.


One of the highlights of the 22nd edition of the All China Leather Exhibition (ACLE) in Shanghai was the large shared joint booth of the Chinese Henan Prosper and the Spanish company Colomer. The two had been collaborating since 1994, until in 2009 Henan Prosper acquired the finished leather operations of the 100-year old Spanish enterprise and moved their production facilities to China. Today only the trading operations remain in Spain while research and development as well as production all take place in China.


The All China Leather Exhibition (ACLE) took place in early September amid the announcement of China’s latest round of retaliatory tariffs toward the US. These new tariffs may mostly affect China’s salted and wet blue hide imports. The continuous escalation of China-US economic and trade frictions have greatly harmed the worldwide economy including the leather industries of China, the US as well as of other countries. However, as always the industry is resilient and optimistic, as expressed by ACLE’s exhibitors who have demonstrated remarkable ingenuity in shouldering the crisis.


China’s leading international event for the leather industry wrapped up another successful edition, its 22nd, on 5 September 2019. 1,056 exhibitors from 34 countries and regions were joined by more than 23,300 visitors in Shanghai from 3 - 5 September. Over 20,000 buyers were from the major manufacturing provinces in China. The fair covered 92,000 sqm and 8 halls of the Shanghai New International Exhibition Center (SNIEC).