This title has nothing to do with any place of worship but is to do with a rather important and expensive brand name for shoes. Church! Remember the €900 Valentino handbag made of a vulgar split I found at an airport duty-free shop last year? Again, in my opinion there is no need to pay almost a thousand euros for a basic handbag or several hundreds of dollars for a good pair of shoes. Furthermore, as we'll see, a high price doesn't automatically mean good quality. Quality in terms of raw material, in terms of resistance against wear and tear, quality in terms of service.

As in previous years, the students of BSLT (British School of Leather Technology) visited the TFL Academy in Montebello, Italy. The Academy's in-house training centre conducted a five-day workshop on the latest technologies in leather making to give the students an overview of recent developments in the market.

A training course covering the latest technology for producing fashion effects initially focused on upholstery leathers was recently organised by Stahl de México for their customers. The facilities of the laboratories at Stahl de México and CIATEC were used to provide the maximum flexibility and this enabled the course to be extended to include shoes, leathergoods and upgrading in which the delegates expressed a serious interest.

Stahl Asia have used the recent Guangzhou Shoe and Leathergoods Fair to launch a new marketing initiative based on their symposium theme 'Fashion Future' and a slogan to bring their emphasis on fashion as their focus, 'Fashioning Your Future'. The theme 'Fashion Future' and the slogan 'Fashioning Your Future' will be used in the coming months to link all presentations and fashion aids produced by Stahl Asia for their customers throughout the region.

Tanneries from Dhaka's Hazaribagh area in Bangladesh may soon be moving to the newly developed Leather Industrial Estate (LIE) in Savar. The government is likely to inaugurate the LIE by September this year, ahead of the latest schedule for the relocation of 40-year old tanneries.

The Kenyan government has introduced measures to prevent tax evasion in the leather industry, following an assessment that it could have lost KSh676 million between 2002 and 2004, according to Livestock and Fisheries Development Minister Joseph Munyao, who added that his ministry had established an office at the Internal Container Depot in Embakasi, Nairobi, to cross-check export documentation for hides, skins and leather. The government was reacting to a story previously published in a leading local newspaper, detailing a massive tax evasion scam by exporters.

A comprehensive guidebook about everything you might want to know about leather is now online. It has been created by the International Trade Centre (UNCTAD/Gatt), Geneva, and is an online open-content source of knowledge that aims to position itself, with the time, as a most comprehensive guide for the leather industry. It is based on the free participation of individuals and organisations around the world willing to share their experience and knowledge to develop a leather manual that covers both production and marketing subjects.

The European Commission has proposed a 10% anti-dumping duty on leather shoes made in Vietnam. The proposed duty would replace the previously proposed Deferred Duty System, DDS, which was rejected by European Union member states.

workers at their plant in Waterloo, Iowa, have approved a new three-year labour contract which includes a 55% per hour raise for each of the contract's three years, with some out-of-pocket health insurance expenses.

The 2006 Dongguan. China Shoes. China Shoetec, the only Ufi-approved footwear event in Asia, concluded with great success on April 24, 2006 at Dongguan (Guancheng) International Convention and Exhibition Center, Guangdong, PR China. The 4-day event attracted 19,872 domestic and overseas visitors, representing a 6.26% growth over the last edition. Of the visitors, 35.4% came from Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR and Taiwan Province, while 25.5% were from other overseas countries and regions. The attendance and international mix made Dongguan. China Shoes. China Shoetec a sound premier footwear event in Asia.

Cognis SCO based in Jinshan City, near Shanghai, produce a complete range of degreasing agents and surfactants, along with a number of fatliquors for the leather industry. Production capacity will be increased with the opening of a new plant in Jinshan in September 2006. The leather division has invested a total of €3.7million in the new facility. In addition to the degreasing agents, surfactants and some retanning agents currently produced in China, newer fatliquors in the company's range will be produced at the facility. All types of fatliquors will be produced in the new plant, from sulfited oils, sulfated oils and lecithin fatliquors, to phosphoesters, sulphoesters and special emulsifiers.

Barry Wood rejoins BLC as business development manager in Asia. Based in Shanghai, Wood will be involved in a wide range of consulting, product inspections and testing services, working closely with BLC-FYT Hai Ning Leather Test Centre, BLC's testing partner in China.

Representatives from Japan's Nishikawa Living, a major buyer of Australian lambskins for the past 25 years, recently visited Melbourne for a new project. Katsuya Watanabe and Takashi Hamagushi inspected high density lambskins required for a new product range of bed sheets the company plans to release in Japan. Nishikawa Living will require a minimum of 100,000 skins of consistent fibre density wool, ideally sourced from Merino lambs. Between six to ten of the highest quality skins are processed and combined, to be sold in single and double bed sizes for $3,000-$4,000/bed sheet.

BASF have completed the first half of 2006 with record results, exceeding the previous year's strong results. Second-quarter sales climbed 16% to €12.3 billion and income from operations (EBIT) before special items rose 15% to €1.9 billion.

Iranian companies displayed leather and leather products at a trade fair of Iranian goods in the Turkmen capital of Ashgabat in late July, according to the IRNA news agency. Iran has identified Turkmenistan as having good sales potential for its products.

Statistics Slovenia reports that livestock purchases in Slovenia in May were 6.3% higher than in April and 1.% higher than in May last year.

With more than two months still to go before the staging of the nineteenth edition of SIPIEL, International Leather Week, this trade fair, organised by IFEMA, has already confirmed the attendance of some 592 exhibitors, 60 more than the number at this stage before the March edition of the event. Of this number, 107 are foreign manufacturers. The net exhibition area comes to 31,697 square metres, an increase of 3,000 square metres compared to the space contracted two months before the March edition of this year. The forecasts indicate that SIPIEL will maintain this rate of growth, bringing together nearly 800 companies from around the world. Alongside the commercial area, the fair will present four exhibitions linked to footwear and leather items.

The Russian government in July passed Resolution No 408, as a result of which a zero customs duty will be applied to 'leather additionally processed after tanning or in the form of leather crust, including processed into parchment, from cattle skins…', according to the Interfax news agency.

Croatia's Central Statistics Bureau reports that the production of leather and leather products in Croatia in the first half of this year was 21.9% higher than in the same period in 2005. In comparison, the annual increase in industrial output in Croatia in the January to June period was 2.9%.

Preparations for the next GLS - International Event for Leather Goods & More - are in full swing. Several international leather goods manufacturers have already confirmed their attendance. The GLS, which got off to a successful start in March 2006 with 161 exhibitors and collections from 16 countries, is taking place for the second time from 15-17 September 2006, parallel to the GDS - The Premier Shoe Event to be held at the Messe Düsseldorf exhibition grounds.

Fashion Access (FA) is the largest trade fair in Asia for handbags, footwear, travelware, leather garments and fashion accessories. The fair encompasses a diverse range of products and explores the design, colour and material trends developing for Spring/Summer 2007.

According to a statement from Assomac, the association's meeting held on Thursday June 29 in Vigevano was 'packed'. Assomac chairman Giovanni Gaia stated that 'a careful reading of the market situation showed indications of a not too distant upturn. The decline that had marked the sector over the last three years seems to have slowed down considerably.'

Fashion Access is the largest trade fair in Asia for handbags, footwear, travel ware, leather garments and fashion accessories. The fair encompasses a diverse range of products and explores the design, colour and material trends developing for Spring/ Summer 2007.

LANXESS leather business unit is combining marketing and sales activities for leather chemicals in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) into one regional centre. Up to now there have been two - one for northern Europe in Leverkusen and one for southern Europe in Milan. Michael Thamm, the new regional head of marketing and sales EMEA, said: 'We have to optimise our efficiency if we want to remain competitive, and that means streamlining structures. By merging the two regional centres we will be better placed in future to respond quickly and specifically to customers' needs.'

In the leather industry the vast majority of finishing systems are water-borne and are most often based upon either aqueous polyurethanes (polyurethane dispersions) or aqueous acrylics (acrylic latexes) as the principal polymeric binders. Often the two types are used in combination.

Leather has a long tradition as a high-value, hard-wearing material, and leathergoods such as shoes, upholstery and clothing have an excellent reputation with consumers.

An increasingly important issue in the leather industry currently is the ever-growing raft of regulations which lay down just what ingredients are permissible in all manufacturing processes and what level is acceptable in the finished article. Dr Humbert said that today's companies are increasingly aware of the importance of the environment.

federally inspected slaughter figures for the four-week period ended June 24 showed an average weekly kill of 683,000 (680,500) against 634,000 (633,250) a year earlier. FIS is now running at 3.8% above the same time last year.

The Karas Abattoir and Tannery (KAT) is to cut between 100 and 150 jobs. The move comes as part of a restructuring plan necessitated by the planned closure of its ostrich slaughtering plant 20km south of Keetman-shoop. Goats and sheep are also slaughtered at the abattoir.

Holiday time is almost upon us and the Italians have realised that they are the only show in town. This is because of the case of anthrax in South Wales that caused the suspension of the issuing of health certificates for China by DEFRA. It is expected to be late in the year before exports of hides to China from the UK will be resumed.

There is more precise news about the future changes for CMT (cut-make-trim) tanners in China (according to the change of rules as it stands today). These enterprises do not own the hides, they just contract tan for an overseas enterprise at a fee and then re-export the wet-blue, crust or finished leather to the overseas enterprise, say in Hong Kong (yes, from China to Hong Kong is considered export!).

After the sharp run up in prices reported in our last issue, prices advanced more moderately until the first part of June, when a plateau was finally reached and the market trend changed direction for the first time in 2006.

Four students from Kenya have been awarded their BSc degrees from BSLT, University of Northampton: Paul Mutegi Ephantus, Ahmed Abdikarim, Joel Musyoka Mwondu and John Otieno Okumu. Mwondu also took first prize in the BSc (Hons) Materials Technology (Leather), Ephantus took second prize and Hassan third.

Peter Howard has retired as factory manager of Cape Produce Company's Pelts Products tannery in South Africa. He intends to work full-time for his farm and sheep feedlot, a business which he has built up in his spare time.

Paul Ward, joint managing director of African Hide Trading, has retired. He has had a distinguished career of helping companies and was involved in the rescue of Umtali Leathers in 1972 from a parastatal development corporation. The tannery was losing money but with his partner Peter Marshall the tannery became profitable once more. This was in Rhodesia and they envisaged trouble ahead so they sold Umtali to G&D Shoes who renamed them Belmont Leather. Ward stayed on for two years converting production to footwear upper leather.

Upholstery giant Natuzzi have appointed Ernesto Greco as CEO to succeed founder Pasquale Natuzzi. Natuzzi will remain board chairman of the company he started in 1959. Greco was chief financial officer of Italian jewellery and watch manufacturer Bulgari. Earlier, he worked at multinational companies including Montedison, Hewlett-Packard and Wang Laboratories.

Michael Thamm has been appointed new regional head of marketing and sales for leather chemicals in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and has transferred to the LANXESS site in Milan. Michael Thamm joined Bayer AG in 1988. After completing his training as a commercial assistant, he was employed in the former dyes and pigments business group.

Friedmar Gotz, executive vice president of the FILK Research Institute for Leather and Plastic, has been elected to the steering committee of the AiF (German Federation of Industrial Research Associations). Gotz is managing director of Vowalon, a founding member of the FILK support association and has been involved in the development of the institute over the past 15 years.

Flavio Lucchese joined Atlas refinery six years ago as sales representative for Mexico. He has since worked for the company in South America and Asia, with specific emphasis on the Chinese market.

Royal Leather Industries, based in Lahore, have won the FPCCI's best export performance award for the third consecutive year. The award recognises the company's number one status in the export of upholstery leather and leather furniture.

Prime Tanning Corporation of St Joseph, the largest wet-blue facility in the US, have been chosen as Missouri's top agricultural exporter for 2005. The company were picked from more than 600 Missouri business involved in exporting agricultural products.

After Western industrialists decided to abandon their homelands and seek their fortune in China to produce more volume and more cheaply and to supply the expanding consumer market, we are feeling the pinch in Western economies. We don't really have an efficient remedy, whereas China's economy is booming with double digit growth this year as it has during the past several years.

The British School of Leather Technology has seen a number of staff changes in the last few months. Karl Flowers left at the end of March having spent four years at the school. Flowers had made a big contribution to reorganising the tannery and also visiting the fairs at Meet in Africa and Tanning Tech. Additionally he had accompanied the students on their annual visits to TFL on several occasions.

The International Trade Centre of Geneva has extended support to the Bangladesh Tanners and Exporters Association in developing technical capacity and a certification system for leather exports at the newly established Bangladesh Service Centre. Under the programme, two experts S K Gujudhar and B Bhattacharya conducted a two day workshop organised by the BLSC at the Bangladesh College of Leather Technology (BCLT), sources said.

Münzing have opened a local sales office for leather products under the name of Münzing Shanghai Co Ltd at 899 Cross Region Plaza, Room 16J, Lingling Road, Shanghai 200030, `PR China. Tel: +86-21-5489 3681/+86-21-5489 3682. Fax: +86-21-5489 3683. Lin Li is responsible for all leather industry related chemicals business and acts as manager leather China for Münzing.

Ken Nokes is retiring on July 28, 2006, after nearly nine years at Satra. During his time with Satra he visited offices, tanneries and factories in the USA, Brazil, China, Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Spain, Mexico, Portugal, Hong Kong, Thailand, India, Korea, Russia, Turkey and, of course, the UK. He says that he always tried to put a lot of time, energy and enthusiasm into the job and that his colleagues in membership/marketing and other parts of Satra will continue to look after the interests of clients in the leather and all the other industries served.

BASF have received a 2005 Supplier Performance Award from Eagle Ottawa, Auburn Hills, Mich, a leading supplier of premium leather for the automotive industry. According to Mickie Miller, director of procurement for Eagle Ottawa, the Supplier Performance Award is based on exceeding performance expectations in the areas of quality, cost reductions, value analysis and value engineering, delivery, service and support, and innovation.

Over the past 100 years Völpker Montanwachs has gained a worldwide reputation in the production of Montan waxes. Recently, however, they have taken further steps to improve the range of products on offer. They say that their expertise and excellent customer-relations prompted them to embark on a course of expansion which has seen the inauguration of a new laboratory facility and an innovative production line for special wax compounds.

Following the considerable investment made in the past two years in their subsidiaries in China and Brazil Trumpler have now placed major emphasis for 2006 in modernisation and expansion of their fatliquor production facilities at their German headquarters in Worms.

DyStar, a leading supplier of products and services for the textile industry, based in Frankfurt, recently signed an agreement to acquire the business activities of the Boehme Group.

Russia's Agriculture Minister, Alexei Gordeyev, says that the Agriculture Ministry stopped accepting applications for subsidised loans for building livestock farms on July 1 this year. A total of US$128 million was allocated by the government for subsidising interest on loans for this year.

The second IULTCS Eurocongress took place in Istanbul, Türkiye, in the last week of May and was a testament to skilful management and generous hospitality. If Detek, the Turkish association responsible for organising the conference, viewed the event as a practice run before the IULTCS Congress due to take place there in 2013, they more than succeeded. It was much appreciated that the organisers did their best to keep speakers to their allotted timetable (this was not always easy) and another notable achievement was that all the presentations were given in English.

Italian Tanners' Association UNIC, at their general meeting on June 16 in Viareggio had to face the unpalletable fact that in 2005 Italian tanners lost 3.1% of their revenue and 2% of production volume. This was partly due to the strong euro. However, according to the meeting the market is recovering and investments are no longer being postponed. The mood was for members to come together to take steps forward.

Strong demand for leather luggage in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is lining the pockets of tanners in Italy, Pakistan and Thailand. According to a recent global online survey by marketing data company A C Nielsen, the UAE ranks among the top five countries worldwide for luxury branded luggage. Luxury leather bags make up 25% of all sales, according to the survey, with a quarter of Internet users in the UAE opting for luxury luggage, and a further 10% saying they would also opt for luxury if money was no object (which is often the case for its oil rich citizens).

Thailand's leathergoods industry could be hurt by an influx of Korean goods under a free trade pact, according to David Chiu, president of the Thai Leather Goods Association. Bangkok is continuing to negotiate with the Seoul government after refusing to sign an ASEAN-Korea trade pact because of Korea's resistance to opening up its rice market.

Interhides Plc expect a sales growth of 35% this year, according to executive director and chairman Ongart Thumrongsakunvong. The firm make car-seat leather from cow and buffalo hides. Their new plant will be completed later this year, doubling production capacity to 2.6 million sq m.

Nine Chinese footwear manufacturing companies have relocated to East Java involving a total investment of up to US$80 million. Eddy Widjanarko, chairman of the Indonesian Footwear Association (Aprisindo) said that the relocations were designed to avoid antidumping duties of 25% imposed by the European Union on footwear products from China and Vietnam.

The European Union could reconsider the anti-dumping system currently in place against shoes imported from Vietnam and China because of the effect the system is having on European companies. EU manufacturers and retailers that produce in Asia have claimed that the EU duties are affecting their business. The duties began at 4.2% in April but increased in June to as much as 16.8%. The Vietnam leather and footwear association (Lefaso) claims that up to 90,000 Vietnamese workers could lose their jobs.

Danish shoemakers ECCO are investing 350 million baht (US$9.1million) on construction of a new global distribution centre including installation of machinery which will increase capacity at their factory in Ayutthaya this year. Managing director Kitti Chaiwattanatorn said that about 150 million baht would be spent on the centre, replacing one that was destroyed in an accidental fire in April. The new facility, with an area of 5,300 sq m, will be able to stock one million pairs of shoes, compared with 650,000 pairs previously.

CTC, a leading global resource providing quality assurance solutions for the footwear and leathergoods industries, has expanded its professional network and CTC-Asia is now a member of two new professional associations: HKHLTA, The Hong Kong Hide & Leather Traders' Association Ltd (www.leatherassn.com) which brings together the tanners and leather wholesalers of Hong Kong; and HKTIC, The Hong Kong Testing, Inspection and Certification Ltd (www.hktic.org) which covers quality assurance professionals (laboratory testing, inspections, audits).

Royal Leather Industries Ltd, Lahore, celebrated the opening of their wastewater treatment plant on June 27. They say that they will be the first individual tannery in Pakistan to have an in-house wastewater treatment combined with chrome recovery plant. The chief guest was Niels Veenis, of the Royal Netherlands Embassy.

Ukraine's State Statistics Committee reports that Ukraine exported raw hides and skins, and leather and leather products, worth US$97 million in the first five months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 18.7%. Ukrainian imports of the same types of commodities in the January to May period were 8.2% higher year-on-year at US$50 million

Turkmenistan's National Statistics Institute reports that livestock production in Turkmenistan in the first half of this year was 3% higher than in the same period in 2005, according to the Turkmen government's website. In comparison, gross agricultural output in Turkmenistan in the January to June period was 22.1% higher year-on-year.

Statistics South Africa reports that the production of leather and leather products in South Africa in May was 9.9% higher than in the same month in 2005. In comparison, industrial output in South Africa in May was 5.1% higher year-on-year.

Slovenia's Statistics Office reports that 11,581 cattle of a total weight of 3,305 tonnes were slaughtered in Slovenia in May, respectively 3.5% fewer and 0.6% higher than in the same month last year.

Slovakia's Statistical Office reports that the Slovak Republic exported hides and skins, leather and leather products, worth US$51 million in the first four months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 21.7%. Slovakian imports of the same types of commodities were 4.2% higher year-on-year at US$96 million.

Latvia's livestock farms were running short of feed in early July as a result of a prolonged drought, according to the LETA news agency. One farmer in the Saldus district on the Lithuanian boarder described the situation as 'catastrophic', adding that his livestock was now being fed with feed stored for next winter.

Statistics Norway reports that Norway exported raw hides and skins, and leather, worth US$45.7 million in the first half of this year, a year-on-year increase of 11.3%.

The government of the Khabarovsk Krai region in Russia's Far East is to put into operation the first phase of a new livestock farm by the end of this year, according to BISNIS, part of the US Department of Commerce, Washington DC. The first phase will see the farm supplied with 500 cattle from Australia. Around 1,000 Australian cattle are to be supplied to livestock farms in the Khabarovsk Krai region.

Lithuania's State Food and Veterinary Service (VMVT) halted the operations of the Galvex cattle trader in early July on the grounds that the company violated animal welfare and cattle trading laws, according to the LETA news agency. The VMVT decision follows an inspection of Galvex's premises. Galvex traded pigs and larger livestock.

Jordan's Department of Statistics reports that Jordan imported leather products worth US$2.61 million in the first four months of this year, as compared with US$1.76 million in the same period in 2005.

Ireland's Central Statistics Office reports that Ireland exported raw hides and skins worth 34.1 million euros in the first four months of this year, compared with 22.2 million euros in the same period in 2005. Imports of the same types of commodities in the January to April period were worth 1.2 million euros, as against 800,000 euros in the corresponding period last year.

China signed a free trade agreement with Chile, its first in Latin America, in mid-July, according to the Bernama news agency. The agreement will see Chile scrapping import duties on up to 97% of imports from China within ten years, with China scrapping duties on about the same percentage of imports from Chile.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's Federal Statistics Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the first half of this year was 3.7% higher than in the same period in 2005. In comparison, the annual increase in industrial output in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the January to June period was 6.8%.

Armenia's National Statistics Service reports that Armenia imported 33.6 tons of live bovine animals worth US$161,700 in 2005. Armenia exported 357 tons of 'raw skins of sheep or lambs' worth US$152,000 last year.

X-rite have announced the official joining of X-Rite and GretagMacbeth. The combined company, X-Rite Incorporated, are committed to becoming a leader in the colour industry and believe that their combined market knowledge enables them to enhance capability and flexibility in both current and future products and services.

The Bangkok International Fashion Fair and Bangkok International Leather Fair 2006 (BIFF& BIL 2006), organized by the Thai Ministry of Commerce's Department of Export Promotion, will return again this year from September 27 to October 1, 2006, under the theme of 'A Brave New World of Fabulous Fashion', at the Bangkok International Exhibition Centre (BITEC). Complimenting the Thai government's ambitious plans to establish Bangkok as one of the fashion capitals of the world, the event will provide a platform for aspiring and leading designers, manufacturers and suppliers from all over Asia to showcase their innovative designs, ready-to-wear apparel, accessories and leathergoods.

The next edition of the China Leather Fair and All China Shoe-Tech exhibitions, dedicated to leather, shoe machinery and raw materials, will take place from April 18-20, 2007. The events will be held in the Dongguan International Conference and Exhibition Centre in Guangdong.

US boot makers, Wellco Enterprises have won a US$19.9 million contract to supply boots to the US Army and Air Force - an option on an existing contract with the US Defense Department. The one-year option is the third of a possible four exercised on the main supply contract, which was awarded three years ago. The option is worth at least $880,000 and up to $19.9 million, depending on quantity.

Writing in The Standard (Nairobi), Martin Matua says that the state is losing money through a tax evasion scam being perpetrated by fourteen leading exporters of hides and skins through a cartel involving top government officials. Accoring to a report compiled by a team of investigators from the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (Kacc) and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), the exporters employed diverse schemes to evade export duty, Veterinary Services Development Fund (VSDF) levy, and income tax. They also fraudulently claimed vat refunds.

With a view to optimising the international exhibition calendar, GDS in Düsseldorf has coordinated the sequence and duration of events for 2007 with Micam in Milan. GDS will be held together with GLS (International Event for Leather Goods & More) from March 9-11, 2007, and from September 14-16, 2007. Three days later Micam will follow GDS, running from March 15-18, 2007, and from September 20-23, 2007.

The UNIDO director general has selected Aurelia Calabro Bellamoli for the position of senior industrial development officer and deputy director of UNIDO regional Office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The winning students of this year's British Glove Association Design Competitions have been presented with their awards by the Master of the Worshipful Company of Glovers, Stephen Brooker, at a luncheon hosted by the company at Mansion House.

As part of their ongoing efforts to strengthen their global control over their brands, Adidas have reached an agreement with New Point Industrial to take over the distribution and license rights for the Reebok brand in China. Effective January 1, 2007, Adidas will hold the exclusive distribution rights for all Reebok products in China. This follows the purchase in May of the distribution rights for the Reebok brand in Russia by Adidas.