Satra will be holding three seminars in China: Royal Lagoon Hotel Dongguan on June 23, Holiday Inn Zhuhai on June 25 and Yeohwa Hotel Quanzhou on June 27. The subjects are: Slip resistance - new international standards will be explained and guidance given on design. 

Some 14,557 visitors registered at the 21^st Modacalzado and Iberpiel, March 7-9, with 18% coming from overseas. The international footwear and leather fashion trade fair, which took place within a climate of moderate optimism, brought together the autumn-winter 2008/09 collections of some 540 exhibiting companies at this edition. Some 423 of these companies were Spanish and 117 were foreign.

Ukraine's State Statistics Committee reports that leather and leather products' manufacturers in Ukraine recorded sales totalling US$49 million in the first two months of this year, compared with US$36 million in the same period in 2007.

Macedonia's State Statistical Office has reported that the production of leather and leather products in Macedonia in February was 16.9% higher than in January and 11.2% lower than in February 2007.

Ukraine's State Statistics Committee reports that Ukraine exported leather and leather products worth US$20 million in January, a year-on-year increase of 0.8%. Ukrainian imports of the same types of commodities in January were 14.3% higher year-on-year at US$11 million.

Romania's National Statistics Institute reports that the production of leather and leather products in Romania in January was 45.5% higher than in December and 9.1% lower than in January 2007. In comparison, the monthly and annual increases in industrial output in Romania in January were 1.6% and 6.1% respectively.

Officials in Khammouane province in Laos say that the number of cattle in the province in March this year was 138,600, an increase of 17.3% compared with the last fiscal year, according to the KPL news agency.

Romania's National Statistics Institute reports that Romania exported leather and leather products worth E76.2 million in 2007, an increase of 14.3% compared with 2006. Romanian imports of the same types of commodities last year were 2.7% lower year-on-year at E664 million.

Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade says it wants to see regulations amended to allow foreign-invested enterprises to sell imported goods to multiple domestic distributors, rather than requiring them to sell to a sole domestic distributor as currently, according to the Vietnamese News Agency.

Croatia's Central Bureau of Statistics reports that leather and leather products' production in Croatia in the first two months of this year was 26.7% higher than in the same period in 2007.

Ireland's Central Statistics Office reports that Ireland exported hides and skins worth E94.9 million in 2007, compared with E93.4 million in 2006. Ireland imported hides and skins worth E2.2 million in 2007, as against E2.8 million in the previous year.

CTC Groupe, who provide quality assurance solutions for the footwear and leathergoods industries, are inviting leading industry clients to assist in two seminars during the fair APLF Materials, Manufacturing and Technology, March 31 to April 2, 2008, in Hong Kong.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's Federal Office of Statistics reports that the production of leather and leather products in Bosnia and Herzegovina in February was 1.7% higher than in January and 6.1% higher than in February 2007.

Statistics Norway reports that Norway exported raw hides and skins worth US$29 million in the first two months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 10%.

Statistics Estonia reports that Estonia exported raw hides and skins, and leather, worth US$11.15 million in 2007, compared with US$11.23 million in 2006.

Latvia's Central Statistical Bureau reports that the number of cattle on farms in Latvia at the end of 2007 was 398,700, an increase of 5.7% compared with the number at the end of 2006.

Slovenia's Statistics Office reports that the number of cattle slaughtered in slaughterhouses in Slovenia in January, 10,148, was 25.7% lower than in December and 6.7% higher than in January 2007.

Serbia's Statistical Office reports that Serbia exported leather and leather products worth E11.7 million in January, compared with E11.4 million in the same month in 2007.

The American Leather Chemists Association will hold its annual meeting from June 19-22 at the Grandover Resort and Conference Center in Greensboro, NC. The full technical programme will begin with the Wilson Memorial Lecture on Friday morning, June 20, and continue through Saturday with approximately twenty-three lectures being presented

Hungary's Central Statistical Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in Hungary in January was 55.2% higher than in the same month in 2007.

Statistics Slovakia reports that the Slovak Republic imported live cattle worth US$322,895 in November 2007, compared with US$510,884 the previous month.

Statistics South Africa reports that leather and leather products worth US$49 million were sold in South Africa in January, an increase of 8.6% compared with the same month in 2007.

Statistics Lithuania reports that Lithuania exported leather and leather products worth US$45 million in 2007, as compared with US$36 million in 2006. Lithuanian imports of the same types of commodities last year were worth US$70 million, as against US$50 million in 2006. 

Turkey's State Statistics Institute reports that the production of leather and leather products in Turkey in January was 4.7% higher than in January 2007. In comparison, industrial output in Turkey in January was 11.7% higher year-on-year.

Ireland's Central Statistics Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in Ireland in January was 9.9% lower than in the same month in 2007. The turnover of leather industry companies in Ireland in January was 37.1% lower year-on-year.

The Czech Statistical Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in the Czech Republic in January was 1.2% lower than in the same month last year. In comparison, industrial output in the Czech Republic in January was 9.3% higher year-on-year.

Spain's National Statistics Institute reports that the production of leather and leather products in Spain in January was 6.1% higher than in the same month in 2007. In comparison, industrial output in Spain in January was 0.2% lower year-on-year.

Israel's Central Statistics Bureau reports that Israel imported leather and leather products worth US$9.7 million in January, compared with US$8.6 million in 2006. Israeli exports of the same types of commodities in January were worth US$1.2 million, as against US$1.3 million in 2006.

Slovakia's Statistical Office reports that manufacturers of leather and leather products in Slovakia recorded total sales worth US$788 million in 2007, a decrease of 1.7% compared with the previous year.

Stahl are building an important extension of the International Leather Technical Centre at their headquarters in Waalwijk, the Netherlands. This investment in a laboratory extension is worth millions of euros and will enable a higher level of services to be provided to customers, including the possibility of developing new exclusive articles specific to their local needs to be formulated and applied under controlled conditions.

Namibian president Hifikepunye Pohamba recently inaugurated Brukarros Meat Processors Limited (BMP), a new business venture that will concentrate on slaughtering sheep and processing sheepskins for export. With a slaughtering capacity of 1,500/day, BMP took over from the Karas Abattoir and Tannery (KAT) that was on the brink of closure.

Huiding Leather, Beijing, are planning to open a tannery in Kenya now that the Chinese government seems bent on putting polluting tanneries out of business. China, the world's biggest buyer and processor of hides, is expected to implement new import duties on raw hides from May 1 and many Chinese tanneries are expected to relocate to Vietnam or India in the foreseeable future.

JBS SA have signed definitive agreements to purchase America's Smithfield Beef Group Inc for $565 million in cash and Australia's Tasman Group for $150 million in cash. Tasman operate six plants, three in Victoria and three in Tasmania.

The purchases came less than 24 hours after JBS announced they had purchased National Beef Packing.

According to Meatingplace.com the total cash and stock portion of the three purchases amounts to around $1.3 billion.

BASF SE have published their Report 2007, which for the first time combines the company's financial and sustainability reporting in a single publication. By integrating data related to the environment and social responsibility in their financial reporting, BASF are again playing a pioneering role. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), an independent organisation that has developed global guidelines to ensure transparent sustainability reporting, has already confirmed that the new report meets its highest application level, A+.

LANXESS AG significantly improved their earnings in 2007. EBITDA pre exceptionals rose by 6.5% to E719 million (2006: E675 million), close to the top end of the earnings guidance range of E700-E720 million. The EBITDA margin pre exceptionals moved ahead to 10.9%, compared to 9.7% in the previous year. ‘This positive earnings performance shows that LANXESS hasdefinitively achieved the turnaround. Last year we came even closer to the profitability level of our competitors', said LANXESS AG board of management chairman Axel C Heitmann.

Sales for 2007 came in at E6.61 billion, down 4.8% from the prior-year figure of E6.94 billion. After adjusting for currency and portfolio effects of 9.8%, however, sales growth was 5%.

A couple of seasons ago everything was loud, smooth and glossy, and preferably blue or kiwi. Then we had the 70s revival in orange and mauve - so what's next? The experts at LANXESS AG say they know the answer. This year the leather team at the speciality chemical company - one of the market leaders in leather chemistry and technology - has once again compiled a ‘leather trend book' to show tanneries what next season's trends are going to be, what colours, structures and surface touches will be in fashion in spring/summer 2009. And on the practical side, there are also formulations and processing suggestions.

Serbia's Statistical Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in Serbia in January was 7.7% higher than in the same month in 2007. In comparison, Serbian industrial output in January was 4% higher year-on-year.

Ireland's Central Statistics Office reports that the number of cattle slaughtered in Ireland in January, 137,600 head, was 10.4% lower than in the same month in 2007. The number of sheep slaughtered, 215,900, was 0.6% lower year-on-year.

Croatia's Central Bureau of Statistics reports that Croatia exported leather and leather products worth US$27.9 million in January, a year-on-year increase of 15.6%. Croatian imports of the same types of commodities in January were 20.3% higher year-on-year at US$26.8 million.

Serbia's Minister of Trade, Predrag Bubalo, has indicated that Serbia could meet some of the demand from the Russian republic of Tatarstan for leather products, according to the Serbian government's website.

Ukraine's State Statistics Committee reports that Ukraine exported leather and leather products worth US$394 million in 2007, an increase of 28.6% compared with the previous year.

A national programme to increase cattle breeding on private farms helped to increase the number of cattle in Uzbekistan by 5.9% in 2007 compared with the previous year, according to UzReport.

Macedonia's State Statistical Office reports that the number of people employed in Macedonia's leather industry in January was 0.2% higher than in January 2007.

Hungary's Central Statistical Office reports that Hungary imported leather and leather products (not including raw hides and skins) worth E277 million in 2007, a year-on-year increase of 6.9%. Hungary exported the same types of commodities worth E138 million in 2007, a year-on-year increase of 1.5%.

Jordan's Department of Statistics reports that Jordan exported raw hides and skins, and leather (excluding leather products), worth US$7.73 million in 2007, compared with exports worth US$7.69 million in 2006. Jordan imported the same types of commodities in 2007 worth US$610,014, as against US$693,935 the previous year.

A meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers in Turkmenistan in early March heard that the cold winter in the country had resulted in a reduction in livestock numbers in Turkmenistan, according to the Turkmen government's website.

Russia's Federal Customs Service reports that Russia imported 90 million pairs of leather footwear worth US$1.35 billion last year, almost all of which came from countries outside of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Slovakia's Statistical Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in Slovakia in January was 11.8% lower than in January 2007. In comparison, industrial output in Slovakia in January was 8.5% higher year-on-year.

Macedonia's State Statistical Office has reported that the production of leather and leather products in Macedonia in January was 11.8% higher than in January 2007. In comparison, manufacturing output in Macedonia in January was 16.1% higher year-on-year.

Albania's National Statistics Institute reports that Albania imported leather and leather products worth US$6.42 million in January, compared with imports worth US$7.26million in January 2007.

Ukraine's State Statistics Committee reports that leather and leather products' manufacturers in Ukraine recorded sales totalling US$21.2 million in January, compared with US$17.3 million in January 2007.

Poland's Central Statistics Office reports that the average price received by leather and leather products manufacturers for their products in Poland in 2007 was 0.9% higher than in 2006.

Iran has exported more than 19 million pieces of processed leather in the current Iranian year (March 21, 2007 - March 20, 2008), according to the IRNA news agency, citing officials in Teheran. Exports have been delivered to Italy, Turkey and Pakistan.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's Federal Office of Statistics reports that 116,461 head of cattle of a total net weight of 19,048 tonnes were slaughtered in abattoirs in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2007, respectively 7.1% higher and 18% higher than in 2006.

The number of livestock killed as a result of cold weather in northern Vietnam increased to around 55,000 by the last week in February, according to the Vietnamese News Agency.