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- This Week's News from the Global Leather & Footwear Industry by Leathernews.org
This Week's News from the Global Leather & Footwear Industry by Leathernews.org
Italian Leather Goods Exports Fall 3.7% to €2.35 Billion in Q1 2026 | China’s Raw Hide Imports Rise 1.7% While Semi-Finished & Finished Leather Imports Decline in Jan-Apr 2026 | Commerce Minister Urges Indian Leather and Footwear Industry to Target $15 Billion in Exports in Next 5 to 6 Years | French Footwear Exports Decline 1% to €1.3 Billion While Imports Fall 8% in Q1 2026 & more...
Arshad Leathernews.org
July 12, 2026
Your 5-Minute Brief on This Week's Global Leather & Allied Industry News
Good morning and welcome to the 110th edition of The Weekly Roundup Newsletter by Leathernews.org
Every Sunday at 11 am, we bring you the entire week's most important news, insights, trade data and developments from the global leather and allied industries in a simple, easy to read format, helping you stay informed in under 5 minutes.
China imported 505,000 tons of raw hides and skins between January - April 2026, valued at $400 million, with import value down 4.9% year on year.
Leather goods exports totalled €2.35 billion between January - March 2026, the first quarter of 2026, down 3.7% compared with the same period last year. Export volumes fell 12.4% by weight, while the average export price increased 9.9% to just under €160 per kg.
“Half of the companies in our survey closed the first three months of the year in contraction, while both the number of active companies and employees continues to decline.”
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal while addressing the Council for Leather Exports (CLE) National Export Excellence Awards 2024-25 in New Delhi on 6 July 2026 urged Indian leather and footwear industry to target at least $15 billion in exports over the next 5 to 6 years, or even earlier, by making the most of new Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), expanding into new markets…
The Regional Pollution Control Board has issued notices to 25 tannery owners in Jajmau, Kanpur after wastewater samples from their units failed to meet prescribed environmental standards.
Nigeria produces more than 50 million hides and skins each year and Kano accounts for over 80% of the country's leather processing capacity.
France's footwear imports declined 8% year on year to €1.92 billion in Q1 2026, while slipper imports were the only category to record growth.
More than 200 industry stakeholders and local media attended an Italian leather industry event held at the Consulate General of Italy in Madrid.
“In a complex economic phase, the real challenge is not to fuel internal competition between our countries, but to strengthen strategic cooperation capable of preserving European leadership.”
Italy will host the IULTCS World Congress 2029 after the IULTCS Executive Committee unanimously approved the country's bid. The event will be organised by the Italian Association of Leather Chemists (AICC), which presented the successful proposal.
The minister said the leather sector currently employs more than 40 lakh (4 million) people and asked whether the industry could increase that number to one crore (10 million).
Sustainable Leather Forum 2026 to Bring Global Leather Industry Stakeholders to Paris on September 7
The Sustainable Leather Forum 2026 will take place on September 7, 2026, in Paris, France. The 1 day event will bring together global brands, manufacturers, tanners, experts and institutions to discuss sustainability, traceability, innovation and the future of the leather industry.
The event focused on Nigeria’s fashion, leather and creative industries, highlighting their role in driving economic growth, creating jobs, strengthening local manufacturing and expanding opportunities for young entrepreneurs.
Mindhive Global has appointed Sergio Lopes as Sales Director for Oceania, Asia and the Americas. Lopes will lead the company’s commercial growth across key international markets and help leather manufacturers adopt AI-powered leather grading technology.
Muno has appointed Srinivasan Saravanan as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO), with the executive joining the company’s headquarters in Italy. He built Muno’s finance organization across India and Bangladesh before taking over as Managing Director for the region.
We have launched a WhatsApp Community to help global leather and allied industry professionals receive daily industry news, insights, market updates, and trade data in real time.
It adds a real-time layer to Leather News, allowing important industry news and updates to reach you directly as they happen.
*Privacy Note: Your WhatsApp number will be hidden from other members & visible only to community admins.
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 | Arshad, For advertising or media partnership enquiries, please reach out via Email:- [email protected] |
Arshad is the Founder & Editor of Leathernews.org, a digital publication established in 2024 that covers news, updates and developments across the global leather & allied industries every day. He is also an engineer specializing in Leather Technology from the Department of Leather Technology, Anna University, housed at CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute (CSIR-CLRI) and currently serves as the Interim Secretary of the A C TECH Association of Leather & Footwear Alumni (ALFA).
He closely tracks trade policy, exports, global sourcing trends and industry developments, with a focus on making complex topics simple, clear and easy to understand for industry professionals.
In 2025, Leathernews.org generated over 2.52 million views across its website, LinkedIn and newsletter and has built a community of more than 17,000 followers on LinkedIn. Its top six readership comes from India, China, USA, France, Italy and Brazil (as of July 2026).
Leathernews.org is an Associate Member of Leather Naturally.
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