The fourth edition of CPM will be held at the Krasnaya Presnaya Expocentre in Moscow from March 1-4, 2005. The event will showcase leather and fur garments and accessories for the autumn/winter 2005/6 season. CPM is the leading international trade fair in Russia and this year top designers will bring eastern influence to the catwalk.

Adidas-Salomon AG, the world's second-largest sporting-goods maker, expect their share of the global soccer equipment market to rise to 35% this year after the Euro 2004 tournament boosted revenue. According to chief executive Herbert Hainer sales of soccer-equipment will exceed 900 million euros ($1.2 billion) in 2004, compared to 800 million euros last year. 'We have great momentum and this will continue well into 2006 and beyond when the FIFA World Cup is played in Germany', Hainer said.

Leather International's Turkish correspondent lived in England from 1966 until 1985 and was enthralled with Britain's European integration process. Nobody discussed Britain's 'readiness' in the run-up to European Economic Community (as it was back then) membership. There was vigorous discourse on advantages (access to French wines and cheeses) and disadvantages (loss of Britishness or free-range pork sausages).

Stahl India's display at the Indian International Leather Fair to be held at the Chennai Trade Centre between January 31 and February 4, 2005, will use locally manufactured products to form the basis of the finishes on the leathers on display. Colours and effects will be drawn from the Fashion Forecast for Autumn 2005/Winter 2006 and Spring 2006.

Statistics Norway reports that Norway exported raw hides and skins worth US$67.9 million in the first eleven months of 2004, an increase of 6% compared with the same period the previous year.

Asia Pacific Leather Fair - Materials, Manufacturing and Technology, will be held from April 6-9, 2005, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Over 91% of exhibitors who took part in the 2004 edition have already confirmed their presence at the 2005 edition. There will be 32 group pavilions from 19 countries including Brazil, China, France, Germany and the USA.

In September 2005, from Tuesday 20 to Friday 23, Le Cuir A Paris will move to the exhibition park of Paris Nord Villepinte on the same dates as other fairs grouped together under the label 'Paris Pole Mode' (Premier Vision, Expofil, Mod'Amont and Indigo). By welcoming Le Cuir A Paris, Paris Pole Mode brings together a unique and complementary offer of leathers-fabrics-yarns-accessories-threads-designs aimed at the fashion sector as a whole as well as the home/ design sectors.

Unsurprisingly, since Ireland's only tannery decided earlier this year that the level of orders coming in was insufficient to justify continuing with production, Ireland's Central Statistical Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in Ireland in October was 41.5% compared with the same month in 2003. In comparison, overall industrial output in Ireland in October was 5.8% lower year-on-year. The combined turnover of Irish leather industry companies in October was 31.4% lower year-on-year.

Hungary's Central Statistical Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in Hungary in the first ten months of 2004 was 17.3% lower than in the same period in 2003. Total sales recorded by Hungarian leather industry companies in the January to October 2004 period were 17.2% lower year-on-year, including a fall in sales of 18% on the domestic market and 16.9% lower sales on export markets.

Al Sarayri & Salha Int Co are preparing for the fifth edition of DLFA 5, the International Fair of Shoes & Leather Products and DLTA 5, the International Fair of Shoes & leather Industries Materials & Technology which will be held at Damascus New Fair Grounds from March 10-13, 2005.

Croatia's National Statistics Bureau reports that the production of leather and leather products in Croatia in the first eleven months of 2004 was 3.2% lower than in the same period the previous year. In comparison, overall industrial output in Croatia in the January to November 2004 period was 3.1% higher year-on-year.

Moldova's National Statistics Institute reports that cattle production in Moldova in the first nine months of 2004 fell by 4% compared with the same period the previous year.

Bata India Ltd, the country's largest footwear manufacturers, are making a foray into real estate development. The company have entered a joint venture with the Calcutta Metropolitan Group and the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority and plan to start up operations by developing the excess land at their factory at Batanagar near Kolkata.

Entrepreneur Tony Weakford has won the Silver Medal at the prestigious Trading Places Awards this month. Tony was presented with the award, which included a cheque for £4,000 and a stunning glass trophy.

Turkey's State Statistics Institute reports that the production of leather and leather products in Turkey in the first ten months of 2004 was 13.1% higher than in the same period in 2003. In comparison, manufacturing industry production in Turkey in the January to October 2004 period was 11.2% higher year-on-year.

The Slovak Statistical Office reports that Slovakia exported raw livestock hides and skins, and leather, worth US$98 million in the first nine months of 2004, a year-on-year fall of 15.2%. Slovakia's imports of the same types of commodities were 1.8% lower year-on-year at US$207 million.

Statistics New Zealand reports that New Zealand exported raw hides and skins, and leather, worth NZ$523 million (US$379 million) in the twelve months to the end of October 2004, a fall of 15.2% compared with the twelve months to the end of October 2003.

Leather footwear production in southern Vietnam's Dong Nai province is estimated to have increased by around 20 per cent in 2004 as compared with the previous year, according to the Vietnamese News Agency. This in turn has boosted the fortunes of leather suppliers in the province.

Livestock farmers in the Xienghone district in Laos have vaccinated their animals against an unspecified disease affecting livestock in the region, according to the KPL news agency. Around 50 head of livestock have died as a result of the disease.

Hungary's Central Statistical Office reports that Hungary exported leather and leather products worth US$74.8 million in the first nine months of 2004, a year-on-year fall of 7.2%. Hungarian imports of the same types of commodities were 8% higher year-on-year at US$272 million.

The Czech Statistical Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in the Czech Republic in the first ten months of 2004 was 5.1% lower than in the same period the previous year. In comparison, the annual increase in overall industrial output in the Czech Republic in the January to October 2004 period was 9.9%.

The State Veterinary Inspection (SVS) in the Czech Republic reported in early December that a total of 685,000 head of cattle had been tested for BSE in the country since February 2001, of which 15 tested positive, according to the CTK news agency's Business News. Of the animals testing positive, one was a bull and the remainder cows. One test for BSE costs euro 43.9), of which euro 19.5 is provided by the European Union.

BLC - a step in the right direction

With the Band Aid 20 single putting the subject of helping Africa well and truly back into the spotlight, University College Northampton are making their own contribution in a different way through discussions with the Ethiopian Ambassador at the London Embassy on November 30. Ambassador Fisseha Adugna met with the University College's British School of Leather Technology to assess the opportunities for a partnership in teaching the skills of leather manufacture and tanning to Ethiopians with a view to the economic regeneration of the country. Accompanying the Ambassador was the embassy's Head of Trade and Investments Mesfin Gebre Mariam.

Turkey's State Statistics Institute reports that Turkey exported raw hides and skins, and leather and leather products, worth US$267 million in the first ten months of 2004, unchanged year-on-year. Imports of the same types of commodities were 5.9% lower year-on-year at US$491 million.

The Siauliai Stumbras leather producer in Lithuania have called a meeting of shareholders for December 28 to vote on proposals to reduce the company's authorised capital by cancelling some shares, according to the LETA news agency. This follows the company's loss of around 5.2 million euros in 2003. On April 30, 2004, Siauliai Stumbras' largest shareholder, with a 39.24% stake, was Visuotine Sekme.

For the first time Pakistan's Export Promotion Bureau will be sponsoring the participation of Pakistani tanners in 20th India International Leather Fair to be held from January 31 to February 3, 2005, at the Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai, India. There were around 250 exhibitors including 51 from overseas at the 2004 edition of the fair and about 10,000 business visitors attended the fair out of which 1,500 were from overseas.

Stahl Brasil SA were recommended for ISO 14001 certification in November following rigorous examination of their environmental performance criteria. They join other Stahl companies in demonstrating the desire and ability to take a high level of control over the way in which the company operate in relation to management of environmental matters. The recommendation shows that Stahl Brasil have implemented an effective environmental management system and that the company will be able to maintain procedures to ensure high standards in the future. Procedures have been put in place that will allow the company to demonstrate their conformance with both national and international environmental legislation.

Ireland's Central Statistical Office reports that Ireland imported leather and leather products, excluding raw hides and skins, worth 8.1 million euros in the first eight months of 2004, compared with 6.5 million euros in the same period the previous year. Irish exports of the same types of commodities were worth 19.3 million euros, as against 30.6 million euros in the January to August period in 2003.

Croatia's Central Statistics Bureau reports that Croatia exported raw hides and skins worth US$19.6 million in the first ten months of 2004, a year-on-year increase of 21.2%. Croatian imports of the same types of commodities were 11.2% higher at US$20.5 million.

Bata India Ltd, the country's largest footwear manufacturers, are making a foray into real estate development. The company have entered a joint venture with the Calcutta Metropolitan Group and the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority and plans to stat up operations by developing the excess land at their factory at Batanagar near Kolkata.

The 3rd Upholstery Leather Conference - Present and future of the upholstery leather industry in Asia - has been confirmed. The event, which is sponsored by the Asia Pacific Leather Fair Ltd, will be held in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, April 5, 2005.

There was no Limeblast in the November issue of Leather International. The article that appears below is from the October edition.

With the Turkish doubleface season decelerating, many tanneries are working at only half strength. Others are no longer able to sustain prolonged periods of inactivity. About 1,000 tanneries are currently operating in Türkiye.

Desa Deri Sanayi of Istanbul are in the process of bidding for a share in Slovenia's premier pig skin tannery, IUV (Industrija Usnja Vrhnika). In 2003, partly state-owned IUV sold 3.5 million sq m of pigskin in 40 countries. They have a workforce of 900 and operate their own-name retail stores in Slovenia.

The Tata group have expressed an interest in developing the proposed Rs200-crore international leather complex, in Krishnapatnam, about 150km from Chennai. The Tata group already have a major tannery at Dewas in Madhya Pradesh. The union government will invest Rs30 crore in the project and the state government will provide land.

The SA Ostrich Business Chamber (SAOBC) launched its website [www.saobc.co.za] in late May, and within days was registering up to 500 'hits'/day. 'More importantly, the site had moved up the listings of the major search engines', said SAOBC manager Anton Kruger. 'Before that, if you searched under 'South Africa + ostrich', the first mention of a South African company was around 80 on the list, because the Americans dominate the web. Our site was 10th on some of the search engines, and still climbing.'

The Ministry of Industry approved the HaNoi Shoe Company's plan to set up a factory in the north Vietnamese province of Hung Yen. The factory will cover 58,700 sq m in the Khoai Chau district, cost VND65.3 billion (US$4 million), and produce 2 million pairs of shoes per year. Operations will begin in 2005.

BLC has continued its successful training programme in León, Mexico, for the fourth year running with over 60 delegates from more than twenty tanning and chemical companies. This year close collaboration with CICUR (Mexican Tanners' Association) led to increased attendance of the training courses due to funding received from federal government.

Africa's Largest leather industry assembly took place in Addis Ababa from October 6-9 in the form of Meet in Africa. In two years' time, it will be clear whether the 2004 event was the end of the beginning, or the beginning of the end for this biennial event. This year's MIA was the fourth edition, and was scheduled to be the last organised and funded by the International Trade Centre (ITC), at the end of an eight-year project which began in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1998.

The leather sector in Zimbabwe has faced extreme difficulties over the past few years. The last month or so, however, has seen a marginal improvement.

Last year, Mahmut Yesil, one of the managing partners of Yesiller Deri, opened a branch office in Barcelona with a Spanish-based leather professional. Yesil wanted to have more hands-on involvement in selecting his entrefino/merino raw lambskins for his Istanbul tannery. This tanner shuns buying raw skins over the phone.

From 1995 to 2003 worldwide footwear production rose by 30% to 13 billion pairs of shoes. By 2010 experts in the sector expect global output to rise by a further 15% to reach 15 billion pairs.

A warning that the Italian and remaining leathergoods industries in Europe could collapse before being in a position to take advantage of exporting to a growing market in China has come from ANCI chairman Rossano Soldini.

As elsewhere, Türkiye has embraced low-cost airlines offering competition for conventional fleets and two or three such airlines compete with national carrier, Turkish Airlines. Desa Deri told Leather International that they have completed the first order for all-leather seats for one of these new airlines.

Recently, a number of international chemicals suppliers have announced price rises or indicated that they are currently under review. The cost of raw materials has been rising steadily since 2002 and they now feel that they must pass these increases on to customers. TFL were the first to inform us that they had been forced to increase prices, effective from September 1. BASF announced their price increases on the first day of Tanning Tech. According to BASF the price of formate has risen by as much as 20% so products with a high formate content will rise the most. They have opted for a sliding scale of rises which will reflect the actual cost of each product formulation.

The consensus of opinion was that while some business was conducted during Lineapelle and Tanning Tech, visitor numbers were definitely down, reflecting the depressed state of the trade at the moment. Despite this, there were some new machines on show and a whole host of innovative and attractive leathers.

Melbourne was the venue for BLC's recent annual Australasian seminar attended by 50 delegates from Australia and New Zealand representing tanners, chemical suppliers and research institutes.

In October, Italy and Egypt signed two important contracts for the establishment of the Robaiky Leather District at Badr El City, near Cairo. The two organisations involved are the General Organisation for Industrial and Mining Projects (IMC) of the Egyptian Ministry of Industry and Trade and the service department of the Italian Association of footwear, leathergoods and tannery machine manufacturers (ASSOMAC).

Bata India of New Delhi is planning a second round of voluntary redundancies later this year. Stephen Davies, Bata India managing director, said the rationalisation of manpower was in tune with the firm's objective of returning to profitability in 2005.

Environmental safety is a major concern and with increasing demand from the western world for eco-friendly leather products, there are also much stronger norms/legislation for reducing the limits on harmful effluents coming from the leather industry.