With the rising profile and value of world brands there is an increasing need for due diligence in the supply chain. For retailers of leather products this means looking beyond the product manufacturer to the tanneries that make the leather, to ensure they comply with appropriate environmental, health and social guidelines.

Swystem Logic GmbH of Switzerland have teamed up with the Chennai software developers Alpha Systems to launch Recipes TIM. Swystem's John Crowther saw the benefits of a joint venture with Alpha Systems of Chennai, after realising the synergies between Recipes TIM (RTIM) and Alpha System's TPCS. The product of that vision is v.5 of the RTIM software which was launched at IILF/ILFMEA 2005 and is being presented in APLF in Hong Kong, Manufacturing Enhancement Forum.

Lanxess K K, the Japanese subsidiary of the Leverkusen-based chemicals group, have inaugurated their new headquarters in Tokyo. Referring to the ceremony, Lanxess board member Dr Martin Wienkenhöver, who is in charge of Asian business, said that Japan is the most important market in Asia.

The first foreign tanner to directly invest in the Indian leather sector, a 50:50 joint venture between the Chennai-based Forward Group and Conceria Virginia Italy (CVI), began operations on January 28, 2005. The facility, located on the outskirts of Chennai covers an area of 50,000 sq ft. Conceria Virginia Chennai (CVC) is the first bovine tannery in India to incorporate Italian tanning technology and expertise.

At the end of last year, Tanneries Nouvelles Pechdo, Millau, France, were awarded the prize for Clean and Energy Saving Technologies. This prize awards industrial/sales companies involved in the development of an innovative industrial process encouraging energy efficiency and reducing pollution.

French leather chemical manufacturers ATC are building a new production facility in Pondicherry, approximately150 km south of Chennai. Production at the new 2.5 hectare site is due to start in June or July this year.

Following a lacklustre January event, the IDF, Istanbul Leather fair which was supposed to be organised for June 2005 has been postponed until January 2006. The recent show, the second edition of the fair, reflected the difficulties of the industry and both exhibitor and visitor numbers were reported as being down.

TFL's Competence Centre Shoe/Leather Goods in Italy (Massimo Perlini and Francesco Pastore), together with the designer Emanuele Zamponi, have developed and presented a preview of the 2006 spring/summer range, which includes an array of trendy leathers, featuring several themes.

UK leather and footwear manufacturers interested in encouraging young people into the industry are being urged to get involved with a Young Apprenticeship pilot scheme, to be launched in September 2005. In general, Young Apprenticeships are new qualifications, which allow pupils aged 14-16 to learn a vocation whilst still at school, rather than studying purely academic qualifications. They are aimed at pupils of all abilities - including the brightest and most able young people.

Vietnam's Trade Ministry is planning to create a national trademark called 'Vietnam Value Inside' with the aim of boosting Vietnamese exports, according to the Vietnamese News Agency. Enterprises allowed to use the trademark will be entitled to 50% reductions in the costs of advertising their goods in the domestic media and on the internet. They will also be entitled to other benefits. It is hoped that the new trademark will help enterprises build their brands, register their trademarks abroad and develop export promotion plans.

Footwear UK organisers reported a strong attendance over the three day show at the end of February despite the snow and poor travelling conditions. 'The severe weather got to us on Tuesday and did affect visitor numbers but we'd gained on the Sunday and Monday with higher than average registrations so overall we were pleased. Running alongside the MODA shows definitely works for many of our footwear exhibitors and having Womenswear in the adjacent hall this time created an opportunity for good buyer crossover. It seems more and more people are recognising that it represents good value at no extra cost', said David Wilkins, show director.

Few industries are as fascinating as fashion with its constantly changing kaleidoscope of colours, shapes and styles. Fashion Access, in Hong Kong from April 6-8 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, remains a premier industry event to open up new and exciting possibilities for its trade visitors. The coming edition will offer boutique buyers an ever-renewing source of fashion from all over the world through the Fashion Avenue.

The Czech Footwear Association (COKA) reports that footwear production in the Czech Republic in 2004 totalled around six million pairs, as compared with 13 million pairs as recently as 2000, according to the CTK news agency's Business News. Each consumer purchased an average of 4.3 pairs of shoes in 2004, a higher figure than in 2003.

It's that time of the year. Right now, over 2,000 companies from 40 countries and regions are preparing for their participation in APLF - Materials, Manufacturing & Technology (APLF- MMT). The world's premier leather trade show opens in Hong Kong on April 6, 2005, and its four days of trading are crucial to the industry's performance in the year to follow. Ms Kiyomi Hoshino from Ajinomoto-trading Inc, who have doubled their stand size this year, said: 'APLF is the biggest leather fair in Asia and we have high expectations of the worldwide business opportunities at the fair.'

Trumpler's new daughter company Trumpler Chemicals and Dyes (Jiaxing) Co Ltd has been commissioned on schedule. The new facility is located about half way between Shanghai and Haining, one of the main leather making centres in China.

The UK Department of Trade and Industry have just announced a £2 million grant to support a Science and Innovation project to develop a commercially viable gasification system for generating energy from wastes from leather and leather products. The two-year project will be led by the Northampton-based BLC Leather Technology Centre Ltd, which is an internationally recognised centre of excellence for the leather sector.

After celebrating 50 years in the tanning sector in 2003, Fratelli Carlessi now have cause for further celebration with their 80th anniversary of the company's establishment.

Plans to expand the ranks of the Canadian Forces by up to 5,000 new troops are likely to be hampered by the fact that the army is running out of boots. According to the National Post, the military is running out of combat boots for its new recruits, even before the widely anticipated announcement of additional soldiers.

After last year's economic ups and downs the barometer for con-sumer spending is now set to rise again in 2005. Data for December 2004 and initial analyses for FY 2005 indicate that consumers have started spending more money in contrast to last year and that they are now viewing their own financial situation in a more favourable light. In 2003 total sales in German footwear retailing stood at approximately 8.7 billion euros making Germany one of the top export destinations.

The first event ever for competitively priced footwear and related fashion Accessories took place at Brussels Expo in Belgium from January 31 to February 2, 2005. Fashion First presented a cross-section of stylish, innovative and uniquely affordable products from 23 countries and regions.

The Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leathergoods and Footwear Exporters Association and Bangladesh Tanners' Association have been jointly organising the Dhaka International Leather Fair since 1999. This year 7th DILF is being organised at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, Dhaka, Bangladesh, from March 27-29. They are looking for participants from all associations dealing with finished leather, semi-finished leather, leather footwear, leathergoods, leather garments, leather chemicals, tanning machinery, accessories & components.

There are currently two test methods for Chromium VI used within the leather industry: DIN 53314 (technically the same as IUC 18: 1997) and EN TS 14495:2003 (technically the same as IUC 18: 2003). Both methods are based upon the colorimetric determination of CrVI.

The Leather Research Laboratory has scheduled the first Leather Orientation Course of the year for April 20 - 21 at the University of Cincinnati. The Leather Orientation Course is designed specifically for the leather product manufacturing and use industries. Professionals involved in leather purchasing, product design, and quality control will benefit, together with chemical companies and newer tannery employees. This intensive seminar provides participants with the knowledge and understanding necessary to make strategic decisions on leather choice and performance specification development/compliance.

The United States Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) reports that the United States exported leather clothing worth US$186,000 to the Czech Republic in 2004, as compared with US$71,000 the previous year. American leather clothing exports to Poland last year were worth US$173,000, as against US$46,000 in 2003.

As a result of globalisation and constant market changes, the MoellerGroup have decided to restructure their business unit Leather. This primarily involves leather production at the tannery in Bielefeld which will be terminated to a large extent. The beamhouse and tannery where raw hides are converted to wet-blue and wet-white will be mainly affected.

The Slovak Statistical Office reports that Slovakia exported raw hides and skins, and leather, worth US$117 million in the first eleven months of 2004, a year-on-year fall of 17.8%. Slovakia's imports of the same types of commodities were 0.7% higher year-on-year at US$263 million.

Russia's State Statistics Committee reports that Russia imported 9.6 million pairs of leather footwear worth US$125 million in 2004, including nine million pairs worth US$120.4 million from non-CIS states and 600,000 pairs worth US$4.6 million from CIS states, according to the Interfax news agency.

Statistics Norway reports that Norway exported raw livestock hides and skins worth US$10.1 million in January, a fall of 11.3% compared with the same month the previous year.

A new society for fur traders was incorporated in Istanbul in January 2005. It will be known as the Fur Producers and Associates Society (KSIAD) and the six founding members hope to increase their roll call to 150 by the end of the year. Official articles relate only to fur-bearing animals, farmed or wild, but as Türkiye has none of these, members are traders, garment producers who import ready-dressed skins, or auxiliary producers, such as dyers.

To fulfil the requirements of the WTO for pollution-free atmospheres in tanneries, the Pakistan Tanners Association has accelerated the work of completing the Karachi effluent treatment plant. As soon as the latest grant from the Netherlands is made available, work on the Combined Effluent Treatment Plant should be completed within a short space of time. Gulzar Firoz, chairman of PTA South Zone Environment Society, said that around 90% of the civil works have already been completed, 85% of the mechanical work and 60% of the electrics.

Hungary's Central Statistical Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in Hungary in 2004 was 17.3% lower than in 2003. Total sales recorded by Hungarian leather industry companies in 2004 were 16.8% lower year-on-year, including a fall in sales of 17.1% on the domestic market and 16.7% lower sales on export markets.

The European Union has suspended 14% retaliatory duties on American raw hides, skins and finished leather exports, as well as finished leathergoods after Congress abolished foreign sales corporations giving illegal tax breaks to US exporters. The EU Council of Ministers has suspended these duties until next January, while a WTO disputes panel examines whether successor legislation, the American Jobs Creation Act, complies with global trade rules.

The Czech Statistical Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in the Czech Republic in 2004 was 4.5% lower than in the previous year. In comparison, the annual increase in overall industrial output in the Czech Republic in 2004 was 9.9%.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's Federal Office of Statistics reports that the production of leather and leather products in Bosnia and Herzegovina in January was 1.8% higher than the monthly average production in 2004. In comparison, overall industrial output in Bosnia-Herzegovina in January was 12.3% lower than the monthly average last year.

Belarusian diplomatic sources in Rome say that Belarus increased its leather exports to Italy in 2004 as compared with the previous year, according to the Belta news agency. No statistics were disclosed. Belarusian leather exports to the Italian market are forecast to remain at a healthy level during 2005.

The full technical programme for the XXVIII IULTCS International Congress, in Florence, Italy, March 9-12, 2005, has now been announced as follows:

Speakers already confirmed for the 3rd Upholstery Leather Conference include representatives of some of the largest upholstery tanners and leather furniture manufacturers in the world:

Michael Rubinovitz, formerly with KT Trading, part of the international Ecco Group, left Switzerland last year to set up his own company in Argentina. Contact details for Wet Blue International SRL can be found on their home page http://www.wetblueinternational.com or email mdr@wetblueinternational.com

When it comes to top of the range luxury cars, consumers want leather upholstery. Despite pressure from animal rights to provide an alternative, the customer still prefers leather. Recently, Mercedes bowed to pressure and decided make its full line of vehicles available with synthetic interiors if a customer requests it. Until now, their most expensive models have been offered with leather as standard. However, other automotive manufacturers are not planning to follow suit. 'Overwhelmingly, people want leather seats', Toyota spokesman Mike Michels is reported as saying. 'Customer demand drives everything we do.'

The CTC Groupe, based in Lyon, France, have reinforced their presence in China by opening their new Chinese subsidiary company: CTC Shanghai. CTC Shanghai are located in one of the most dynamic Chinese areas of production of shoes and leathergoods. China is now responsible for nearly 75% of the world production of shoes. This is CTC's second Chinese establishment, and will bring them more closely to their clients.

Crawford Hides have become the first company in Ireland (south or north) to be awarded approval under the Animal By-Products Regulation 1774/2002. Since their incorporation in December 2002, the company have continuously expanded their operations and now market approximately 20% of Irish hides. Crawford hides general manager Colin Shields expressed the company's delight at being the first market to achieve this status in Ireland.

Strojosvit, the only producer and exporter of tanning machinery in the Czech Republic, recorded sales worth US$5.19 million in 2004, a year-on-year increase of 5%, according to the CTK news agency's Business News. The company recorded an unspecified profit last year.

Slovenia's Statistical Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in Slovenia in 2004 was 12.2% lower than in the previous year. In comparison, industrial output in Slovenia in 2004 was 4.8% higher year-on-year.

Slovakia's State Statistical Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in the Slovak Republic in 2004 was 5.1% lower than in 2003. In comparison, overall industrial output in Slovakia in 2004 was 4.2% higher year-on-year.

The forthcoming edition of Le Cuir A Paris, to be held on March 9-10, 2005, at Paris Expo - Porte de Versailles, will count with the participation of 132 exhibitors, of which seven exhibitors will be participating for the first time (from Argentina, Greece, Italy, Pakistan, Turkey) and eight exhibitors who are returning after a period of absence, mainly from Spain and France.

Lithuania's Economy Ministry is seeking structural aid worth US$2.25 million from the European Union for the Naturali Oda leather producer, which plans to open a new leather processing plant in Kedainiai, according to Baltic Business News.

Kazakhstan's National Statistics Institute report that Kazakhstan produced 23,000 tonnes of chrome tanning agent in 2004, compared with 24,200 tonnes the previous year.

Ireland's Central Statistics Office reports that a total of 1.81 million head of cattle with a total carcase weight of 563,200 tonnes were slaughtered in Ireland in 2004. A total of 1.86 million head of cattle of a total carcase weight of 568,000 tonnes were slaughtered in 2003.

'The Fair of America', ANPIC, the 30th International Fair of Suppliers, Machinery and Fashion Preview for the Leather & Footwear Industries will be held from February 26 -March 1, 2005, at Poliforum Fairground, in the city of Leon, Mexico.

US-based Walt Disney Company have entered into a strategic tie-up with Sierra Industrial Enterprises to manufacture and market Disney shoes for kids in India.

Albania's National Statistics Institute reports that Albania imported leather and leather products worth US$47.0 million in the first nine months of 2004, compared with US$48.5 in the same period in 2003.

TOPIC A: FARMING: Bird selection and breeding: 1.Recent advances in ostrich breeding, by Dr S Cloete. Animal Production Division, Elsenburg Agricultural Centre,South Africa; 2. The Behavioural Variety of Ostriches During Natural Incubation, by Mrs Uschi Braun, Germany; 3. The criteria of maternal line selection, by A Bruznitskyy and Mrs J Kuchinskaya, CJSC 'Agroyuz', Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine.

Turkey is famous for fashion and quality in garments and doubleface in particular. Together with their Turkish agent GOS Kimya, Smit & Zoon have been able to introduce a wide range of fatliquors to suit the high requirements of the Turkish tanneries. A strong advantage of their fatliquors, compared to traditional suppliers, is their use in lower temperature water. Their range focuses on: softness, brilliancy, light weight, fullness, wring-effect and pleasant touch.

As yet there has been no substantial breakthrough at the ILM Essential. On the one hand there was a more optimistic mood in the trade, on the other hand there was a lower number of visitors than had been expected. Interest focused on novelties with basics and bags for midsummer and holiday season.

Giordano International Limited and Carlsson Developments (Asia) Ltd have announced the signing of a global licensing agreement for the production, sales and marketing of Giordano branded footwear. 'We want to extend Giordano's success story into footwear with a collection of comfortable and stylish products. Not only can our customers expect high quality, timeless design and affordable prices from our footwear, we also aim to surprise them with our focus on details and innovation to add extra value to each of our products', says Jeremy Chan, director of sales & operations for Carlsson.

We have just received the provisional list of oral presentations for the upcoming IULTCS congress in Florence. We must stress that this is a provisional list only and may be subject to change. The papers are listed alphabetically by country.

Accidents due to slipping remain a major cause of injury, both at work and in the home. SATRA has responded to these statistics by introducing two new versions of its slip resistance test for footwear. The move is designed to ensure that the most up-to-date advice is available to its members worldwide, especially since slip injuries can lead to significant cost in terms of compensation claims.

Turkey's State Statistics Institute reports that Turkey exported raw livestock hides and skins, and leather, worth US$85 million in 2004, a year-on-year increase of 5.8%. Imports of the same types of commodities were 6.9% lower year-on-year at US$572 million.

Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia is to lay the foundation stone of the much talked about Tannery Industrial Park in Savar on February 15 this year. The government has already acquired 200 acres land to set up the park with an estimated cost of US$48 million.

The leather industry could shed significant numbers of jobs in poor and rich countries following a successful WTO Doha Development Round agreement on industrial and textile goods. Its aim is to slash tariffs across the board and in that instance, said a UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report, there will be winners and losers. Increased competition would make rich country leather sector employment fall: by 30% in Japan and by 20% in Canada, for instance. Rationalisation in poor developing countries would also spark job losses in the sector, although of less than 10%, except in Bangladesh, where 13.6% job losses are predicted. Some emerging economies would pick up the slack, however. Bulgaria would 'enjoy export gains in all sectors, particularly leather…', with job numbers rising by 5.2%. South-east Asia's leather industry would boom, boosting sector job numbers by 24.5% and China (plus Hong Kong) would gain 8.2% more leather industry jobs.

Israel's Central Statistics Bureau reports that Israel exported raw hides and skins, leather and leather products, worth US$12.7 million in 2004, compared with US$12.8 million the previous year. Israeli imports of the same types of commodities last year were worth US$77 million, as against US$65 million in 2003.

Ireland's Central Statistical Office reports that Ireland exported raw livestock hides and skins worth 68.8 million euros in the first ten months of 2004, as compared with 73.3 million euros in the same period the previous year. Irish imports of the same types of commodities in the January to October 2004 period were worth two million euros, against 5.1 million euros in the same period in 2003.

The 20th annual edition of the India International Leather Fair was held at the Chennai trade centre, Nandambakkam, Chennai, from January 31 - February 3.

The European Union has suspended 14% retaliatory duties on American raw hides, skins and finished leather exports, as well as finished leather goods after Congress abolished foreign sales corporations giving illegal tax breaks to US exporters. The EU Council of Ministers has suspended these duties until next January, while a WTO disputes panel examines whether successor legislation, the American Jobs Creation Act, complies with global trade rules. These duties will be scrapped permanently if the WTO approves the new US law, but the 14% duties will be reimposed if it does not.

Hungary's Central Statistical Office reports that Hungary exported leather and leather products worth US$92.3 million in the first eleven months of 2004, a year-on-year fall of 6.5%. Hungarian imports of the same types of commodities were 10.3% higher year-on-year at US$344 million.

Croatia's Central Statistics Bureau reports that Croatia exported leather and leather products worth US$132million in 2004, a substantial year-on-year increase of 211%. Croatian imports of the same types of commodities were 59% higher year-on-year at US$142 million.

From March 1-4, 2005, the fourth CPM - Collection Premiere Moscow will be held at the Krasnaya Presnaya Expocentr exhibition centre in Moscow, Russia. After the final cancellation of Moda Moscow in February, CPM is now the leading fashion fair in Russia and showcase for international brands. There will be 21 countries participating: Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, United Kingdom, India, Italy, Canada, Croatia, Latvia, Lebanon, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, USA.

Business Data International Inc, Montreal, Canada, business and professional information providers, have recently announced that the English edition of China Leather Directory (English-Chinese) has been published. This directory lists about 1,200 major leather enterprises in China, including raw materials, tanners, footwear, leather goods, leather hardware, fur and fur product, clothing, leather chemical, leather machinery. It gives latest information on the manufacturers' name, address, tel/telex/fax numbers, emails/URLs (the first of its kind) if applicable, business activity, product lines, number of employees etc.

Spanish machinery company Olcina have launched a new advertising campaign which is centred around the concepts of environment, flexibility and profit. Olcina believe that these concepts are key to a successful future and the company's range of drums and paddles, automation systems, engineering and environment solutions give/make these ingredients accessible to the tanner. The campaign focuses on Olcina's exclusive Cangilones drum, considered by the company to be a cornerstone in the future of the tanning industry.

The Vietnam Leather and Footwear Association (LEFASO) is asking the Vietnamese government for US$507,000 out of the US$919,000 needed to fund its trade promotion programmes this year, according to the Vietnamese News Agency. LEFASO said the funding will allow it to participate in international exhibitions, conduct market research, organise training courses associated with trade promotion and build a trade information system.

DyStar, the world's premier textile dyes company with headquarter in Frankfurt, Germany, have acquired the business activities of the Rotta Group effective at the end of the year 2004. Financial details of the deal are not to be disclosed.

All of the stockholders' representatives on the future supervisory board of Lanxess AG have now been elected. In addition to Dr Rolf Stomberg, these will be Dr Friedrich Janssen, Dr Jürgen F Kammer, Robert J Koehler, Rainer Laufs, Lutz Lingnau, Prof Ulrich Middelmann and Dr Sieghardt Rometsch. They were elected at an extraordinary stockholders' meeting of Lanxess held before the spin-off of the company became effective, and are expected to take office at the end of February 2005 once the legal basis for the composition of the supervisory board has been confirmed in the 'Statusverfahren' prescribed under the Stock Corporation Act. Until then the supervisory board of Lanxess will continue to consist of three members. Effective January 29, 2005, these will be Dr Rolf Stomberg, Dr Friedrich Janssen and Rainer Laufs. They will replace the existing members Klaus Kühn (chief financial officer of Bayer), Johannes Dietsch (head of finance at Bayer) and Dr Roland Hartwig (Bayer's general counsel), who have resigned their seats by agreement.

The end of January and the first week of February will see Chennai, India, in the forefront of the leather industry. The India International Leather Fair is traditionally inaugurated in the early evening of the last day of January. The International Leather Fashion Show on February 1 is a very popular event and features the best that India can offer in the way of fashionable clothing, bags and footwear. Not only is the catwalk graced by a large number of attractive models but India has been able to augment their numbers with various beauty queens.

Estonia's Statistical Office reports that the number of cattle on farms in Estonia on December 31, 2004, was 249,100, compared with 257,200 on the same date in 2003, according to the LETA news agency.

A prolonged drought has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of cattle in Cuba, according to local reports. The value of these losses is said to be considerable.

Charles Myers has retired as president of Leather Industries of America (LIA) and management has passed to the LIA's long-term legal counsel, Collier/Shannon and will be administered by John Wittenborn, LIA's environmental counsel. As a result Myers has been succeeded by John Wittenborn as president and the Washington headquarters of LIA will be moving to the Collier/Shannon offices where select staff will continue to serve members in the areas of trade shows, statistics, laboratory support and continued dialogue with several government agencies. In addition, John Wittenborn will continue his close collaboration with Dr Nick Cory, the technical director at the industry's flagship Leather Research Laboratory.

Brian Jones died in December, 2004, after a long battle against leukaemia. He had retired from his chairmanship of Fenland Sheepskins after a lifetime of producing wool-on sheepskins for a wide variety of purposes. Mike Parson, head of BLC, writes: 'He was very well known in the industry and respected for his views which were always honest and forthright. Throughout his life, Brian was interested in new and novel technologies in the manufacture of leather and the treatment of waste. He was also interested in the development of young scientists and technologists, in the well being of the British School of Leather Technology (BSLT), and he was a committed member of the Leather Industries Advisory Committee (LIAC).

Increasing brand-consciousness, globalization and professionalism, has inspired Wenzhou Donnor Exhibition Co Ltd to divide their original fair into two professional fairs for 2005: China Leather Fair 2005 and All China Shoe-Tech. The two fairs will be held simultaneously, providing a clear-cut category of products, exhibitors and buyers and sharpening their focus for the benefit of exhibitors and visitors.

Ethiopian Ambassador Fisseha Adugna met with the British School of Leather Technology in November to assess opportunities for a partnership in teaching the skills of leather manufacture to Ethiopians. Accompanying him was the embassy's head of trade and investments Mesfin Gebre Mariam.

Thailand, with whom India has signed a free trade agreement (FTA), is inviting Indian companies to invest in several identified sectors. Among the many possible sectors for investment is leather, according to Thamrong Mahajchariyawong, assistant secretary general, Board of Investment (BOI), Thailand.

Illegal shoe and leather product imports from Thailand and China have created a major threat to the local industry. Due to the free flow of finished leather products to the country the local industry is finding it difficult to compete with the foreign produce. Over 50% of Sri Lankan products are manufactured as a cottage industry.

US sports apparel giant Nike have lost a copyright suit over the illegal advertising use of a Chinese cartoon character only weeks after the famous shoe maker had their ads pulled from Chinese television for upsetting local traditions. The Beijing Intermediate Court ordered Nike to pay 300,000 yuan ($36,000) to cartoonist Zhu Zhiqiang for using his 'Little Match Man' in their 'Stickman' advertising campaign.

Türkiye became so synonymous with doubleface tanning that the production of other leathers has largely been ignored. Despite this, innovation and an amazing variety of leathers are available from a number of tanners, who are working hard to survive. Tanneries, garment makers and hide and skin agents have identified renewed interest in nappa, and a return to New Zealand skins.

The sixth edition of the Madrid Lives Fashion programme will shortly commence with a cycle of fairs which continue through the months of February and March, coinciding with the staging of SIMM-Madrid International Fashion Week (February 13-16), Pasarela Cibeles (February 14-17); and Textilmoda (February 22-24). The sixth edition of Madrid Lives Fashion will close with the staging of SIPIEL, the International Footwear and Leather Goods Week at the beginning of April (April 1-3). Madrid Lives Fashion is launched by IFEMA and is supported by the business organisations representing those sectors devoted to the fashion industry.

In January 2004, new regulations to curb illegal trade in Turkish goods entering Russia came into force. Leather garments and footwear were prime culprits and, in garments alone, the tax-free 'luggage trade' averaged three or four times the value of official invoiced exports.

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 range of leathers, fabrics, yarns, accessories, threads, designs aimed at the fashion sector as a whole as well as the home/design sectors.

Between March 8-12, 2005, the XXVIII Congress of the IULTCS will take place in Florence, Italy, organised this time by the Italian Leather Chemists' Association (AICC).

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 manage environmental matters.

The Ho Chi Minh City government has pledged technical support for a local company to proceed with their project to build the city's first crocodile skin tannery. The city government will invest in the manufacturing of machines used for crocodile tanning and then transfer the machines to Ton Phat Crocodile Co, said Nguyen Thien Nhan, vice chairman of the HCMC People's Committee, at a meeting with Ton Phat Co in December.

Leading Pakistani speciality chemical manufacturers Shafi Reso-Chem recently organised a Technical Discussion on Fashion Forecast 2005-2006 at local hotels in Karachi and Lahore for their premier customers. The main purpose was to promote awareness of the latest and upcoming fashion trends in the global leather industry to local manufacturers on an individual basis. Continuous technical education for their valued customers is the main focus of Reso core values and has been one of their objectives since the beginning.

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.

On December 15, Clariant opened their new technical service centre in the Caohejing High Tech Park in Shanghai, adding another milestone to their presence in China. With the new centre, Clariant are offering, true to their business strategy, an even more improved customer-orientated service in Asia.

According to Hidenet.com, a Chinese firm have purchased a warehouse in Holland with the intention of dealing and exporting cattle hides. The company go by the name of European Hides Company or 'EUHICO'. They have purchased the former warehouse of Van Buren Hides of Leeuwarden in Friesland, which recently went bankrupt.

The first Cairo International Leather Show, held in the Egyptian capital from December 9-12, 2004, saw the participation of 118 companies, of which forty or so Italian ones took part in the 'collective' organised by ICE and Assomac. The exhibitors comprised Egyptian firms in the leather, footwear, accessory and components sectors and international companies involved in footwear and tanning machinery and manufacturers of chemical products, moulds and man-made materials. As an indication of government interest in the event, the Egyptian Minister for Foreign Trade and Industry, Rashid Mohamed Rashidad, was received by the Italian Ambassador, Antonio Badini at the inaugural ceremony.

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.

The small German town of Pirmasens is perhaps most famous for its connections with the footwear industry. Elements of this famous connection still exist but it clear to see that the industry in the town is not what it used to be. However, the local connection to the footwear industry has led to a number of small engineering companies surviving the demise of the shoe business. This includes leather perforating, cutting and embossing machinery makers, Ring Maschinenbau.

By mid December there was a general slowing down towards the year end as could be expected. Quality shoe leathers were doing better. Good light hides and selected goat and sheepskins are the preferred raw material. Unfortunately this is not the bulk of the leather trade which shows few improvements if any. The upholstery tanning sector will continue to suffer unless leather can be offered at very attractive economical prices. However, few tanners can meet that demand in a profitable way. Tanning over-capacity in the home furniture upholstery sector, particularly in Asia, keeps competition amongst tanners strong and leather prices low. Some may switch to other leather types next year.

Kills ran at very high levels during November and into December, and were expected to continue right to the end of December with January very quiet until the effects of de-coupling fully impact the marketplace.

As the year 2004 wound to its conclusion, the two most noteworthy events in the US hide industry were the announcement that Canadian cattle under thirty months of age could once more be allowed over the border and the fact that Italy had apparently purchased a huge quantity of wet-blue hides in the week ending December 9.

As has been the case since August, supply and demand on Heavy Texas, butt branded, branded and Colorado steers have been essentially in balance. There have been very few changes - of up to a dollar - but that is over a period of more than 17 weeks. As we've mentioned before, lower levels of slaughter were equal to less than normal demand for hides from tanners.

January 4, 2005. Today the offices of Leather International have reopened after the overly long Christmas and New Year holidays. Most of this current edition of the magazine was prepared before the offices closed on December 24, 2004. I find myself in a curiously disjointed place where I need to put the finishing touches to the first edition of Leather International in the New Year while it was actually written in 2004.

Communicating colour

When producing floaters tanners use every opportunity to achieve something they normally try to avoid during the production of thick uppers: a loose grain. Ironically, this is often found to be as difficult to achieve as it is to promote grain tightness.

In its early days the SATRA name stood for the Shoe and Allied Trades Research Association in the UK. It has since metamorphosed into a multi-million-pound international organisation which offers wide-ranging services — including developing and supplying testing equipment, training and chemical analysis of a diverse number of products varying from its core business of footwear and leather, through toys and portable bedpans to horse bedding (one and a half tons of it) and furniture. Shelagh Davy visited its two sites in Kettering, Northamptonshire

First of all I convey my very best wishes to friends and 'foes' alike for a happy, prosperous and healthy 2005!

Summary

Vietnam has proved to be one of the major growth areas for footwear production and has recorded a rapid growth since 1992. Recent development has seen production rise from 206 million pairs in 1997 to 303 million pairs in 2000 with a corresponding growth in the leather industry. Despite its success, the industry is now facing government expectations of continuing high growth which may well prove unsustainable.

Cleaning up leather processing is what the government wants the industry to do. Failing this, the country's environment, especially the water tributaries, will not be able to recover their former robust health, which is vital to sustain the fish stocks on which the livelihood of local fishermen depends.

Up until the early 1980s, the country was a world leader in both production and export of footwear. However, with the increase in production costs and the resulting decline in competitiveness, there was a massive shift of production to other Asian countries and in particular to the Chinese province of Guangdong.

Although still one of the two largest importers of hides in the world, the Korean tanning industry has become substantially smaller in recent years. It is no longer the world's largest producer of footwear, as it once was, nor is it the country that produces the largest quantities of leather as was the case at one time. Competition from China has also taken its toll on this country where tanning costs are significantly higher.

Ukraine's State Statistics Committee reports that the production of leather and leather products in Ukraine in the first eleven months of 2004 was 13.3% higher in value terms than in the same period the previous year. In comparison, overall industrial output in Ukraine in value terms was 13.4% higher year-on-year.

Ukraine's State Statistics Committee reports that Ukrainian leather and leather products exports in the first ten months of 2004 increased by 15% compared with the same period the previous year. Imports of the same types of commodities were 8% cent higher year-on-year.

Turkey's State Statistics Institute reports that Turkey's leather industry was operating at 55.7% of its total capacity in November 2004, compared with 53.7% in the same month in 2003. The main reasons given by Turkish leather industry companies as to why they were not operating at full capacity were low demand on foreign markets, followed by low demand on the domestic Turkish market. In comparison, manufacturing sector companies in Turkey were operating at an average of 71.2% of their total capacity in November 2004, a year-on-year increase of 1.2%.

Shareholders in the Siauliu Stumbras leather producer in Lithuania were scheduled to vote on a proposal to reduce the company's authorised capital at a meeting on December 28, according to the LETA news agency. The proposal has been prompted by the need to cover losses and by the fact that some of Siauliu Stumbras' assets have been assigned to the Siailiu Energija energy supplier. Siauliu Stumbras currently has an authorised capital worth 9.6 million euros.

Bosnia-Herzegovina's Federal Office of Statistics reports that leather industry production in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the first ten months of 2004 was 3.6% lower than in the same period the previous year. In comparison, overall industrial output in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the January to October 2004 period was 13.8% higher year-on-year.

Belarus' Council of Ministers issued a resolution in late December setting minimum retail sales quotas for a wide range of domestically-made products, according to the Interfax news agency. Quotas apply to leather and leathergoods, but the quota amounts are unknown. An official from Belarus' Trade Ministry said that the quotas have been established to ensure that consumers have access to domestically produced goods.