Big Business Opportunities With such ethical issues raised, the 2011 ACLE proved to be a great opportunity to cash in on the trust and goodwill generated by face-to-face meetings built up over the years at the show. ACLE clearly remains the premier global leather industry event for China, giving Chinese buyers the chance to see the very best the industry has to offer. Buyer traffic was heavy from the opening hour of Day 1 all the way through to closing day. Doing good business were the raw materials, semi- and finished-leathers, chemicals and accessories sections. Noticeably less busy were the finished goods and machinery exhibitors.     With more than 40 exhibitors, Turkey was by far the largest featured country of the show. After having conquered the European and Russian markets,Turkish leather’s next objective is to conquer China, according to Jak Galiko, Chairman of the Aegean Leather Products Exporters’ Association. “One third of Turkey’s leather capacity will be channeled to China within the next three to four years”, he predicted. The Turkish leather industry’s strength, according to Galiko, is its adaptability (similar to the textile industry), allowing it to produce in small quantities and to launch new collections every season. Indeed, one can see an increasing merge between the leather and the fashion industry, as demonstrated by Zhejiang Grammy Garments, whose 2011 collection seamlessly combines fabrics such as cashmere and silk with leather or by the emergence of low substance material, suitable for garments and fashion accessories. Another featured country was Pakistan. Leather is Pakistan’s second biggest export oriented industry, representing one billion US dollars and 6 per cent of the country’s GDP in 2010, according to Muhammad Ali, Pakistan Tanners Association’s deputy secretary. A Free Trade Agreement between China and Pakistan is expected to make the trade of raw materials between the two countries more effective. Ali said he expected an increase in Pakistan’s participation next year.   THE FUTURE OF CHINA LEATHER Traditionally, the Chinese leather industry uses ACLE as the occasion to take stock of its situation and to map out its future. Su Chao Ying, recently elected Chairman of the China Leather Industry Association, announced some optimistic figures that reflect the rapid growth of China’s leather industry. From January to July 2011, 2.34 billion pairs of shoes were produced, representing a 20 percent increase over the same period in 2010. This increase in production is due mainly to the high demand in the domestic market. This was reflected by the increased attendance of the CIFF, which occupied a whole hall for the first time.    The other item of good news is the smooth transfer of leather manufacturing from China’s coastal areas to cheaper inland provinces. The move, according to Su, creates opportunities for Chinese companies to put more money into innovation and increasing productivity. Hence the presence in the fair of companies showing the most advanced and innovative processes in making leather, including leather chemicals, was an important feature for Chinese buyers. A HAPPY PLANET? Sustainability has become a priority for manufacturers everywhere, presenting the challenge of creating products less damaging to the environment and to those who use them. Enzymes, water-borne solvent, and even Traditional Chinese Medicine are now part of the technologies and components used in the leather making processes.Sustainability was a recurrent theme at this year’s ACLE. A highlight of the fair was the series of lectures that focused on the leather industry’s environmental and social concerns.   For the past couple of decades, the trend in Europe has been to develop water-borne solutions chemicals. According to Gabriele Costa, Lamberti, Technology Manager, the trend is catching on in China as tanneries must comply with strict environmental and safety requirements. The technological development, challenges and environmental impact of water-borne solutions were debated over three lectures held by chemical companies Lamberti, CTC and Stahl which presented water-borne solutions that reduce costs, lessen the impact on the environment and are easy to use. Getting away completely from chemicals and replacing them with biodegradable enzymes is the target of a Danish company, Novozymes, one of the world’s leader in bioinnovation. Enzymes are the biotechnological alternative to chemical leather manufacturing. By reducing or eliminating the need for tensides, solvents or other demanding methods in the tannery, they can save time and energy and, of course, costs. The company invests 15 per cent of its profit in R&D and although leather represents only a small part of the company’s business share, it is an ever growing one, according to Henrik Brak, Novozymes’ Global communication manager.   Identifying, analyzing and rewarding “sustainable” business practices in the leather industry have been an important objective of the Tannery of the Year (ToTY) competition. The main focus is to acknowledge and reward tanneries that apply ‘best practices’ throughout the production process. This year, the award was presented to the centuryold, family-owned German tannery, Heller-Leder. The fair also served as a platform to keep exhibitors and buyers updated on the latest news about LeatherNaturally!, the leather quality label that was launched in ACLE 2010. In addition, the organisers announced the coming Global Leather Summit to take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil next November.