The latest trends, technologies and examples of sustainable practices in the leather industry will be discussed at the 1st CICB Sustainability Forum which will be held on August 29 2012, at Fenac, in Novo Hamburgo, Brazil, during the Courovisão Fair (International Fair of Components, Leather, Chemicals, Equipment and Accessories for Footwear and Manufactured Goods).

According to data released by the China Leather Industry Association (CLIA) during the first three months of this year tanning sector (based on large sized enterprises) production saw a year-on-year growth of 25.7% in production value to RMB 35.3 billion ($5.5 billion), but in terms of growth rate it was 4.8% less than the previous year.

Dr Jeffry Guthrie-Strachan and John Sinclair (Deputy Dean) of the University of Northampton will be visiting the Kanpur leather cluster on behalf of The Institute for Creative Leather Technologies and the University from May 15-21.

The export and smuggling of live animals on a large scale has badly affected the domestic tanning industry resulting in substantial drop in export of leather products say the Pakistan Tanners’ Association (PTA).

Leather International magazine is asking the leather industry to nominate the 20 most important and influential tanners in the world. The results will be published in September 2012 edition of Leather International magazine. The last Top 20 Tanners listing was last published in 2010 and is a celebration of the leading industrialists in the tanning industry.

Quality and price are the two factors that would govern the rise in Pakistan’s leather exports to Germany, said Dr Tilo Klinner, the Consul General of Germany.
During a meeting in early May with representatives of Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA), he informed that Pakistan’s leather and leather products exports to Germany grew by 45% during last fiscal year.
Dr Klinner also said that all leather goods imported from Pakistan are not consumed by the German market itself, and some of them are re-exported to neighbouring countries.

Following a £60 million (US$94 million) refurbishment, tour operator, Saga’s newest flagship cruise liner, the Saga Sapphire, which set sail on May 7, has been outfitted with both Andrew Muirhead and Bridge of Weir low carbon leather. Both tanneries are part of the Scottish Leather Group (SLG).

Almost every country in the world is preparing its team for the Olympics and Paralympics. Soon, athletes will be on their way to London from all over the world. Sport is on everyone’s mind, and Stahl is no different. In its new look at colours for Autumn and Winter 2013-14 Stahl is inspired by the world of sports.

BASF announced on May 8 their plans to build a new production plant for formic acid at their integrated ‘Verbund’ site in Geismar, Louisiana. The new plant will create 20 new jobs and have an annual capacity of more than 50,000 tons. It will be the only formic acid production plant in North America and will allow BASF to better serve strategic markets in North and South America including applications for pharmaceuticals, energy, animal nutrition, leather and cleaning products. Start-up of the new plant is expected in the 2nd quarter 2014.

A Buchanan County circuit judge entered a final ruling May 7 on dispersal of $10 million to a group of north west Missouri farmers and landowners who claimed that fertilizer allegedly containing a cancer-causing chemical ruined their land.

The Centre for the Brazilian Tanning Industry (CICB) are celebrating their 55th anniversary in 2012. The association have also recently released a new logo to promote the anniversary and reinforce their historical importance to the Brazilian leather industry. The new logo utilises the colours of the Brazilian flag (green and yellow) to mark the 55 years of service by CICB.

Wolverine Worldwide have agreed to acquire Collective Brands’ Performance + Lifestyle Group (PLG), which includes the wholesale and retail operations of the Sperry Top-Sider, Saucony, Stride Rite and Keds brands, for $1.23 billion.