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This Week's News from the Global Leather & Footwear Industry - Leathernews.org
Brazilian Leather Exports Drop 7.2% to $82.1 Million in August 2025 | Conceria del Chienti Invests €20 Million to Transform Tolentino Tannery into Factory 5.0 | French Leather Industry Faces Shifting Trade Trends in First Half of 2025 & more...
Arshad Leathernews.org
September 21, 2025
The 5th edition of the Dubai International Footwear & Leather Exhibition (DIFLEX) returns this September.
It is the Middle East’s premier trade event for the leather, footwear and fashion accessories industry, bringing together 250+ global brands, 300+ hosted buyers, 20+ countries and 5,000+ trade visitors under one roof.
📅 23–25 September 2025
📍 Festival Arena, Dubai Festival City
Good morning & welcome to our weekly newsletter.
Every Sunday at 11 am we bring you the entire week’s news, insights, updates, market research, analysis, expert opinions, facts & figures from the global leather & allied industries.
In a simplified & easy to read format saving you time while keeping you well informed & updated in under 5 minutes.
LEATHER INDUSTRY NEWS
Brazil’s leather exports slowed again in August 2025. Official data analyzed by CICB shows that exports of hides and skins reached $82.1 million. This marks a 7.9% fall from July and a 7.2% drop from August last year when the total stood at $88.4 million.
Nearly 100 years after its founding in 1923, Conceria del Chienti has taken a bold step to modernize its operations. The Italian tannery has completed its “Ctc 100+100 Project” with an investment of €20 million to turn its Tolentino plant in the Marche region into a Factory 5.0.
“When we launched this journey, the objective was not merely to rescue a company but to create a new paradigm. At a time when the footwear and leather goods sector faces significant headwinds, Ctc is not just surviving but positioning sustainability as a competitive advantage”
The French leather industry has shared fresh figures for January to June 2025 through the Economic Observatory of Alliance France Cuir. French leather industry imports held steady at €6.8 billion while exports dipped 3% to €9.4 billion.
Kenyan Investment Authority recently spotlighted Kenya’s growing leather industry as a major investment opportunity. The sector is expected to expand from $80 million in 2022 to around $850 million by 2040, offering opportunities across tanneries, leather goods and footwear.
During Simac Tanning Tech a Memorandum of Understanding will be signed between Assomac, UNIC – Italian Tanners, UNPAC – National Union of Italian Tanning Auxiliary Manufacturers and the Kenya Association of Manufacturers.
A new study on Malawi’s leather value chain has uncovered major challenges in producing quality hides and skins. The African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) shared findings from a recent workshop that gathered leather stakeholders in Malawi.
The Jordanian-Uzbekistani Leather and Garment Industries Forum opened in Amman on September 17. The event brought together industry leaders and government representatives to explore new opportunities in textile and leather manufacturing.
FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY NEWS
Pleach India Foundation together with the Footwear Design & Development Institute (FDDI) will hold a 3 day national seminar and exhibition on India’s footwear heritage from November 28 to 30 at the FDDI campus in Hyderabad.
LEATHER GOODS INDUSTRY
Kering has named Francesca Bellettini as the new President and Chief Executive Officer of Gucci. She will report directly to Luca de Meo, Chief Executive Officer of Kering.
Inditex reported steady growth in the first half of 2025 as its focus on creativity, efficient execution and global expansion continued to pay off.
Did you know?
In 2023-24 alone, exports of Indian leather, footwear & leather products to the MEA region crossed Rs. 600 crore (~$75 Million)
With US tariffs shaking up the global leather & footwear export market, brands everywhere are looking for new markets to diversify and reduce risk.
Meanwhile, consumers in the Middle East & Africa are spending more than ever on fashion including leather & footwear.
In this context, the 5th edition of the Dubai International Footwear & Leather Exhibition (DIFLEX 2025) couldn’t be coming at a better time.
23 - 25 September 2025 | Festival Arena, Dubai Festival City
Here’s what makes this year’s DIFLEX different:
- Over 250 brands & manufacturers
- More than 10,000 product lines
- An estimated 5,000 trade visitors
- 600 hosted buyers
- Exhibitors from China, India, Italy, Portugal, Egypt, Syria, Spain, Thailand, the UAE, Jordan, Turkey & more
MEA Market Potential
- According to DIFLEX, Leather products market size in the MEA region is projected at US$37.51 billion in 2025, growing to US$45.88 billion by 2030 (4.1% CAGR)
- Dubai remains a strategic export & re export hub with AED 309.6 billion in trade (2024), up 9.2% from the previous year.
This year DIFLEX will also host a conference & here are a few you need to know about
DAY 1 – TUESDAY 23 SEPT 2025 | SESSION 2 (14:30–16:00)
“Effective strategies for driving growth in the multibillion dollar footwear & luxury leather goods market in Middle East”
Speakers:
[1] Dinesh Shahani, CEO, Landmark Group’s Footwear Businesses
[2] Bader Al Alawi, Managing Director, Chic
[3] Shamsa Muaid Fahad AlAhbabi, Managing Director & CEO, Al Khaznah Tannery
[4] Morgan Papin, CTO & Partner, The Cobbler
DAY 2 – WEDNESDAY 24 SEPT 2025 | SESSION 1 (11:30–13:00)
“Forecasting the next wave of trends, innovation, smart fabrics, DTC models & conscious choices: Designers toolkit for success”
Speakers:
[1] May Ahmed, CEO & Owner, H&T Boutique & Brand
[2] Sally Sarieddine, Founder & Creative Director, LaLaQueen
[3] Anwar Bougroug, Founder & Creative Director, Bougroug
DIFLEX has become an important meeting point for brands to de risk, diversify & grow in a region with
- Young demographics
- High consumption &
- Growing retail ecosystem
Whether you are a manufacturer, designer, buyer or retailer, DIFLEX Dubai 2025 offers a strategic gateway into the Middle East & Africa.
If you found something useful, please consider sharing it with others who might benefit.
 | About the Author Arshad is an engineer, having completed his Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) specializing in Leather Technology from the Department of Leather Technology, Anna University (housed at CSIR-CLRI). In just 18 months since launching Leathernews.org, the platform & its distribution channels have gained over 1.7 million+ views from 120+ countries. |
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