Corium Solutions have 21 years of experience in the global leather industry and are well known in the trade for producing chemicals to finish, treat and protect all kinds of leather against bacteria, fungal growth and odours within the manufacturing of footwear, upholstery and other leathergoods. They also produce a range of leather finishes for these items to ensure that the finished leather product matches the original design vision.

The Problem

Sheep scab is a highly infectious condition caused by the small mite Psoroptes ovis and is estimated to cost UK sheep farmers £3 to £4 million a year in lost income1. The infection causes immense distress to the sheep and results in damage to the leather and to the fleece caused by the animal chewing its skin and rubbing itself to relieve the itching.

Introduction

REACh lays new obligations on the industry and defines a new approach to chemicals control. Enterprises which manufacture or import more than one ton of a substance per year will be required to register these chemicals. Evidence demonstrating the safe use of the substance needs to be submitted in a registration dossier to the new European Chemicals Agency in Helsinki, Finland. Those established outside the EU who manufacture a substance on its own, in preparations or in articles, formulate a preparation or produce an article that is imported into the EU, must appoint someone in the EU as their only representative for registration or mandate the importer.

METHOD

Thanks to their previous experience with Spanish leather industries, INESCOP carried out several Initial Environmental Reviews in Tunisian tanneries as a starting point of the environmental analysis. A questionnaire was then prepared to gather information on the most important environmental problems and CNCC technicians visited 17 Tunisian tanneries in order to assist them in filling in the questionnaire.

There is room for improvement on the way to sustainable leather manufacturing. Institutes and scientists worldwide work on improvements for curing, dehairing, liming, pickling and tanning. Local developments, such as the application of Reverse Osmosis in Tamil Nadu, try to find ways to spare precious drinking water. China is forcing its tanning industry to switch from raw/salted hides to wet-blue, wet-white or crust in order to avoid the water pollution and/or consumption.

Tanneries

Cuba has four state-owned tanneries employing around 1,000 people which produce finished leather for the local footwear manufacturing industry as well as exporting wet-blue primarily to Italy, Spain, Türkiye, Syria and Hong Kong, which then re-exports the wet-blue to Chinese tanneries. These four tanneries are:

Operations at Bataan Tannery, the largest in Nicaragua, have been suspended for three months as well as at the Central American Tannery. According to Silvio Salinas, owner of the Central American Tannery, six major and 35 minor tanneries have been forced to suspend operations since there are hardly any raw materials to be found.

In addition to the ongoing problems of getting American beef back onto the shelves in Japan, Korea has also been exercising the political skills of the US authorities. US trade ambassador Susan Schwab has said that unless Korea fully normalises beef trade with the US, the government will not proceed with the proposed US-South Korea free-trade pact.

In Germany the kill reduced again in May and on a year-to-year basis is now 4.2% below 2006. Despite this hide prices remain weak in general.

The four month downward trend in American steer prices finally came to an end in mid July. Cows reached their bottom in the beginning of the month and prices on all selections advanced to end the month up considerably from the lows.

It is appropriate that a shoemaker to the rich and famous should be called Calzaturificio Star. However, the company are better known by the family name of Artioli which has provided three generations of master craftsmen, Severino, Vito and Andrea Artioli.

In 1821, Albert Smit, former captain of the Dutch merchant vessel 'De Koornzaaijer' founded the firm Handelmaatschappij A Smit & Zoon bv, now known as Smit & Zoon. While this was obviously the most crucial decision ever taken in the history of the company, in the 186 years that have passed since that day many other important decisions have had to be taken and difficult problems overcome. A great deal has changed in 186 years. Nowadays, the only mementoes of this vanished past are prints and artifacts displayed in the company's headquarters in Weesp.

Use of state-of-the-art enzymatic solutions can make the leather-making process quicker, cheaper and more efficient and result in increased yield by expanding the area and improvement of the physical qualities of finished leather. Novozymes offer a wide range of enzymatic solutions including lipases for beamhouse processes as well as new applications for re-tanning.

Historically, Flekkefjord has prospered on its natural resources. Herring fishing was the main industry of the town for many years. Indeed, in the 1750s, Flekkefjord was the most important herring export port in Norway. The unusual tidal conditions in Flekkefjord allowed ships to move in and out of the port at all times of the day.

Just returned from an exciting new product launch into a completely new product sector, Pittards have announced a new co-operation with upholstery experts Yarwood leather and a ground breaking new product - SupaLite, a lightweight upholstery leather for the aviation industry.

'Cavallino' (horse leather) is currently in vogue and the latest request from the fashion houses is to be able to produce clothes wholly made with horse leather. This means being able to eliminate the problems of specific gravity and softness.

The supervisory board of BASF Aktiengesellschaft, Ludwigshafen, has appointed two new members to the board of executive directors: Dr Harald Schwager and Dr Wolfgang Büchele. The appointments will take effect on January 1, 2008. In addition, the contracts of two current members of the board- Dr Kurt Bock and Dr Andreas Kreimeyer - were extended until the annual meeting in 2012.

Stefan Rydin is now with the European Commission, working at the European IPPC Bureau in Sevilla where he will be responsible for the review of the Reference Document on Best Available Techniques for the Tanning of Hides and Skins (BREF for tanneries). The review of the BREF document will start this year.

Sue Winckle of Satra Technology Centre's footwear testing division was presented with an award at the company's recent agm to commemorate her 40 years of service at the centre.

Swift & Co announced that president and CEO Sam Rovit relinquished all executive and director responsibilities immediately following the sale of the Greeley, Colorado-based company to Brazil-based JBS SA.  Rovit, who has been with Swift since July 1, 2005, is succeeded by Wesley Mendonca Batista, who is currently the executive director of operations of JBS SA, Latin America's largest beef processor.

Clariant have made a number of key senior management appointments which they herald as changes to strengthen their commitment to world-class performance. Two of four divisions - PA and TLP - are to be led by externally-recruited executives and there will be increased focus on people management. The head of group technology is to retire by year-end and the search for a replacement underway.

John Hubbard has been appointed to lead Satra's research team, adding his experience in chemistry to enhance the group's all-round capabilities. He worked previously in Satra's chemical analysis team and has regularly led seminars in the UK and Far East on managing restricted substances in many types of consumer product.

On June 29, 2007, the awards ceremony for the fourth Global Communications Project, an international competition for public relations and communications students, was held in Lisbon, Portugal. This year, the project was sponsored by global specialty chemicals suppliers Cognis.

At the late June meeting of ASSOMAC, the national association of Italian manufacturers of footwear, leathergoods and tannery machines, held in Vigevano, Giovanni Gaia, stepped down after two years. The four years with Gaia as chairman have been the hardest for the sector: 'The harsh data may have been initially disconcerting but forced us to ask ourselves questions and look for new ways to reassert our right to compete on all markets', said the outgoing chairman.

Directors of Rohm and Haas Company have authorised the repurchase of up to $2 billion of their common stock.

Feltre have a close collaboration with the Scottish Leather Group. Five years ago, Lang were seeking a more efficient means of processing hides from desalting to fleshing. In conjunction with the tannery management, technicians and operators, Feltre designed and installed a system catering to the specific needs of the client, involving a bridge conveyor to connect the desalting area with the deliming vessels in a separate building.

The UK's leading forklift attachment company, B&B Attachments have launched the T351ES series, a corrosion resistant rotator for fish processing, tanneries, salt mines and environments where acids and alkalis are used. Developed by Kaup GmbH & Co KG, the rotators are painted with a special corrosion resistant finish (RAL 5005), which helps protect them against the effects of seawater, salt and acid.

Kenya and Uganda have recently doubled their export duty on raw hides and skins and are presumably contemplating the introduction of an export duty on wet-blue in order to boost the value addition to their leather industry. Although tariffs are against everything that 'free trade' stands for I must admit that in certain cases tariffs are justified. Some countries need to protect themselves from being deprived of their natural resources.

In Europe in the early nineties, the implementing of ISO 9000 quality management systems in a business was considered to be a major part of the quality guarantee to customers. It took a decade before this became fully integrated into the business culture in developed economies and a similar time frame may be required in Asia.

Italian tanners' association Unic held their annual meeting in Milan on June 22. Incumbent president Lorenzo Mosconi handed over to Graziano Balducci of Conceria Antiba. The meeting heard that 2006 drew to a close in a positive light with a clear growth in production, 8.5% in volume and 9.4% in value. It is viewed as a sort of return to form after at least five years of successive decline. In 2006 Italian tanners exported 65% of their production (which is corrected to 50% if you take into account purchases by Italian owned overseas ventures). Exports are up 7.5% on 2005, despite the euro/dollar exchange rate and increased costs.

For several years Stahl have traditionally made a fashion presentation in Santa Croce, Italy, in the autumn. The timing has been related to the Italian leather fairs such as Lineapelle. This year has, for the first time ever, seen a highly successful break with tradition.

Pittards PLC have sold their principal operating site in Yeovil for £3.1 million in cash and agreed to lease back the site for ten years for an initial annual rent of £254,000. The company made a profit of £0.49 million before transaction costs over net book value from the sale of the property and will benefit from a rent-free period of six months.

Equitan have received ISO 9001 certification. Equitan specialise in belts and felts for staking machines etc as well other devices such as metal detection bars and printers. Equitan say that quality is the greatest value and resource a company can offer, 'so we have always paid a great deal of effort in improving the quality of our services and products.

Europe's newest independent country has agreed to remove import duties on of a wide range of raw skins and hides, when they are exported from the European Union (EU). In a wide-ranging trade deal with the EU, Montenegro also agreed to scrap import duties on many lines of men's and women's shoes and boots containing leather.

The genuine Italian vegetable-tanned leather consortium welcomed London's design community to its 'Natural Sensations' event at the Natural History Museum on June 26.

A new organisation has been formed which is being called CATS (Cooperation for Avoiding Toxic Substances in Shoes) and which involves the Pirmasens research centre, Germany, and a number of footwear companies.

The Considered Team acts as the product development arm of product responsibility for Nike and acts as an in-house R&D centre and advisory centre for more sustainable products. When we talk about considered today we are saying: Consider your choices, consider your impact.

I hate politics but there is no avoiding the fact that they affect all aspects of life and trade in one way or another. Take the US beef export situation. US politicians are currently trying to get a resumption of unrestricted beef exports into South Korea. If South Korea refuses to play ball, the proposed free trade agreement will not be put forward to Congress.

LANXESS have developed a technology for upgrading leathers with structural defects such as veininess and looseness.

In the highly competitive car market, one of the major distinguishing features is often represented by the provision of leather interiors.

The Karachi office of Riaz Traders tell us that they are working on Environmental Management system (EMS). To be a part of it, they have taken almost all the necessary steps which are required for ISO 14001 certification.

In May, the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research PCSIR organised a national seminar on the benefits of enzyme technology for the leather industry.

The thing about shows in China is that they always look busy but this can be deceptive. The 17th International Shoe and Leather Show in Guangzhou was described by one visitor: 'The event has a real buzz to it and is clearly both a shoe and leather fair'. Another said: 'After speaking with a quite a few of the exhibitors they are saying it is on its way down now as last year there were five halls and this year there are three, very much in the same vein as APLF. Although the big chemical companies are here: BASF, Clariant, Stahl, Kemia Tau etc, but they are only the Chinese regional offices so this cannot be called an international show as it is purely for the Chinese market.'

Planned EU free trade agreements (FTA) with South Korea, India and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) will dramatically boost commercial activity in the leather industry if the agreements are passed, claims a study by Copenhagen Economics for the European Commission. It says South Korean imports of leather would increase by 5.2% if current negotiations lead to just a partial FTA, while the EU is expected to gain a 1% share of the total gains.

The ostrich industry now 'hardly exists' in Namibia, according to Nakara Leather Tanning & Processing member Kevin Davidow. 'When prices for ostrich were high, it was sustainable', he said. 'In Namibia, however, birds have to be kept in paddocks, to prevent scratching, and the feed has to be imported from South Africa. With prices as they are, it's just not worth it, and we process hardly any ostrich at all.'

With the launch of the flagship store which is scheduled to open this autumn in Ellis Street, South West London, Johnnie Pattullo, a renowned footwear designer and shoe guru both in the UK and USA, will be adding his own unique flair and creative eye to the self-titled luxury label.

Hide values continued to rise throughout 2006 and, by December, all steer hide selections were commanding prices well over $70 per piece on an FOB basis. In the latter half of 2006, steer hide prices rose around 20% while cow hide prices went up by about 22% for the year.

'We are well known in the region for safety footwear with steel mid-sole, which are puncture-proof affording protection to the under sole. This footwear is manufactured in accordance with EN-345 S3 international quality standards. We also have the capacity to manufacture customised work footwear in large quantities in accordance with the pattern and design needed for specific job environments of different clients', says a company spokesperson.

The award was presented by Dr Karl-Henrik Robert, founder of The Natural Step, a non-governmental organisation that has pioneered an extensive set of principles to advance society toward sustainability.

A Russian team of experts will be in attendance to advise customers and to inform them about our innovative new developments and our extensive range of established, high-quality products.

The programme is as follows:

In line with normal procedures, the infected premises and the Pirbright site are covered by 3km protection zones, with a single 10km radius surveillance zone beyond it.

Although the concept was only unveiled in May, exhibitors have been quick to confirm that they will be at the Materials at WSA Expo & Conference. Companies such as Adige Conceria, Alba Gruppo, CMC Gruppo, Conceria 800, Conceria Kara, Conceria N.C.L., Conceria Virginia, Creative Leathers, Gruppo Mastrotto, I.P. Valdarno together with Cuoificio m.p.g, Nuova Antilope, Pellami Macchini, North American Tanning, Rino Mastrotto Group, Romapelli and Wolverine Leathers are just some of the tanneries that have applied for stand space. While on the synthetic materials side, key players such as Clarino, Omnipel Technologies, and Rogers Corporation are also on board. Components and technologies companies exhibiting will include Caster, Davos, Prialpas, Reltex, Texon International, Sappi Warren and the mould maker Apego and B.E. di Borsani Egidio & C. among many others.

Istanbul Leather Fashion Fair, co-organized by TÜYAP and Arti-F Organizations under the authority of Turkish Leather Foundation (TÜRDEV), was held between May 31 - June 2, 2007.

Over 500 exhibitors are already signed up, including over more than 50 who will be exhibiting for the first time at the exhibition. Altogether more than 25 countries and regions will be represented.

TRADE 2007 is co-organised by Donnor Exhibition Co Ltd, Artificial & Synthetic Leather Committee of CPPIA and Wenzhou Synthetic Chamber of Commerce and supported by associations and organisations both in China and abroad. The aim is to improve the mutual communication between suppliers and buyers.

The steady growth of the CantonSF SHOE FAIR can be seen by comparing exhibiting area, exhibitor numbers and the amount of exhibitors who have been present every year since the event's conception in 2002. And the exhibitors' opinion of the show is becoming more optimistic and confident with 81.39% stating their intention to return for the next edition.

'Our significant earnings growth demonstrates that BASF have reached a higher level of sustainable earnings', said Dr Jürgen Hambrecht, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF Aktiengesellschaft when presenting BASF's latest results.

BASF expect the delisting to become effective on September 6, 2007, at which time the company's ADRs will no longer be traded on the NYSE. BASF intend to maintain their ADR program in order to enable investors to retain their ADRs, as well as to facilitate trading in the US over-the-counter market. This means that investors do not need to exchange their ADRs, unless they are restricted to investments in registered securities.

It says South Korean imports of leather would increase by 5.2% if current negotiations lead to just a partial FTA, while the EU is expected to gain a 1% share of the total gains.

These collections are the latest innovations in cult-classic sportswear designs as well as stunning 1930's inspired high-fashion. Zeha's iconic double-slash design graces a wide array of colourful starters, trainers, and pro footwear, while the Zeha Urban Classics styles add street shoes and boots to the mix.

Stephen Bracegirdle, the Divisional Chairman, stated: 'This move allows the Texon Group to complete the move to Asia and gives the management the opportunity to invest directly in a developing niche market.'

The company reported second quarter 2007 earnings from continuing operations of $161 million, or $0.75 per share, compared with $0.87 per share in 2006. This quarter's results include $0.09 per share in costs associated with operating issues at the Houston, Texas plant and a net asset impairment after-tax charge of $0.03 per share principally related to the write-off of the company's investment in Elemica, an on-line chemicals marketplace.

The Commission is said to be investigating the huge increase in footwear imports to the EU from 2005 to 2006: around 400,000 pairs found their way to Europe in the period April-December 2005 compared with eight million pairs in the same period of 2006. However, even the 2006 figures are reported to be significantly lower than 2004.

The 6th Dongguan China Shoes/China Shoetec (autumn 2007) will take place from November 28-30, 2007 at the GD Modern International Exhibition Center, Houjie, Dongguan, PR China.

Not only did billings rise by 34% in the period covered (January-May 2007) compared with the same period in 2006, but exports increased dramatically to non-traditional and smaller buyers of Brazilian leather.

Ukraine's State Statistics Committee reports that production of leather and leather products in Ukraine in the first half of this year was 4.8% lower than in the same period in 2006. In comparison, overall industrial output in Ukraine in the January to June period this year was 11.8% higher year-on-year.

Slovakia's Statistics Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in the Slovak Republic in the first five months of this year was 4.9% lower than in the same period in 2006. In comparison, industrial output in Slovakia in the January to May period was 15.8% higher year-on-year.

Statistics Slovakia reports that the Slovak Republic exported leather worth US$23.1 million in the first quarter of this year, a decrease of 19.1% compared with the same period in 2006. Slovakia imported leather worth US$50.7 million in the January to March period, a year-on-year increase of 1.3%.

Serbia's Statistical Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in Serbia in the first five months of this year was 4.5% higher than in the same period in 2006. In comparison, Serbian industrial output was 5.2% higher year-on-year.

Russia's State Statistics Committee reports that leather industry companies in Russia recorded a combined net profit of US$3.92 million in the first quarter of this year, a year-on-year fall of 2%, according to the Interfax news agency.

Rohm and Haas have announced plans to build a new manufacturing facility in the Moscow region. The proposed plant will produce polymer emulsions for a number of markets including paint and coatings materials, and adhesives.

Pittards PLC have sold their principal operating site in Yeovil for £3.1 million in cash and agreed to lease back the site for ten years for initial annual rent of £254,000. The company made a profit of £0.49 million before transaction costs over net book value from the sale of the property and will benefit from a rent free period of six months.

Statistics Norway reports that Norway exported raw hides and skins worth US$43.9 million in the first half of this year, compared with US$50.2 million in the same period in 2006.

Kazakhstan's National Statistics Agency reports that there were 6.93 million head of cattle on farms in Kazakhstan on July 1 this year, an increase of 3.1% compared with the number on the same date in 2006, according to the Interfax news agency.

Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics reports that Israeli exports of leather and leather products increased slightly year-on-year in the first five months of this year. Exports were worth US$7.5 million, compared with US$6.6 million in the same period in 2006. Israel imported the same types of commodities worth US$45.6 million in the January to May period, as against US$37.3 million in the corresponding period last year.

A total of 168 enterprises participated in the Ninth International Fair on Iran's Leather Industry in Tabriz in Iran's East Azerbaijan province in mid-July, according to the IRNA news agency. In addition, 15 companies from Taiwan, Turkey, Belgium, Italy and Spain participated in the event.

Hungary's Central Statistical Office reports that Hungary exported leather and leather products worth €47.1 million in the first four months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 16.3%. Hungarian imports of the same types of commodities in the January to April period were 25.9% higher year-on-year at €95.1 million.

Croatia's Central Bureau of Statistics reports that Croatia exported leather and leather products worth US$57 million in the first five months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 13.2%. Croatian imports of the same types of commodities in the January to May period were 27.5% lower year-on-year at US$44 million.

A new organisation has been formed which is being called CATS (Cooperation for Avoiding Toxic Substances in Shoes) and which involves the Pirmasens research centre, Germany, and a number of footwear companies.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's Federal Office of Statistics reports that the production of leather and leather products in Bosnia and Herzegovina in June was 5.1% higher than in May and 13.5% higher than in June 2006. In comparison, industrial output in Bosnia and Herzegovina in June was 2.4% higher month-on-month and 18.% higher year-on-year.

A seminar on 'Leather and Leather Goods Industry of Bangladesh: An Emerging Sector', was recently organised by the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

Albania's National Statistics Institute reports that Albania exported leather and leather products worth US$11.9 million in the first five months of this year, compared with US$7.46 million) in the same period in 2006. Albanian imports of the same types of commodities in the January to May period were worth US$37.2 million, as against US$30.3 million in the same period last year.