All China Leather Exhibition ‧ SNIEC ‧ 04-06 September 2012
Fair Review 2011
  
ACLE 2011 Enjoys Busy Run |
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Two stories stood out in the All China Leather Exhibition (ACLE) held September 6 to 8 in the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. One was the availability of raw material - or lack of it - and how this was impacting on prices. The other was how busy exhibitors were, with the stream of visitor traffic heavy right through to the end of the show.
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Leather Prices Increasing
The leather industry in general survived the 2008-9 economic crisis that lingers until the present in pretty good shape. A continued strong demand for high-end products, including leather garments, upholstery, footwear, etc., from the ‘new’ markets of China especially, and the Asia-Pacific region in general, has up to now kept the industry busy... This in itself would have led to a significant rise in prices.
Natural disasters in several major raw material supplier countries created additional pressure. Whether the blame can be laid at the door of ‘global warming’ or purely economic factors, the result is that demand has been more buoyant than supply.
Not surprisingly, the perceived diminishing supply as against the rising price of leather was the main topic of discussion at ACLE, not just for the next few months but to get some clarity for the long term security of supply.
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Another underlying issue put forward was the danger of premium leathers being ‘substituted’ with lower quality raw materials. While no one will admit to carrying out such unscrupulous activities, it is a valid concern as it damages the leather industry’s good name. Turning leather into a commodity that consumers do not see as value compared to plastic is a big worry for many of the top tanners who have invested heavily in world class plants.
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