January/February Limeblast focused on the All African Leather Fair held in Addis Ababa in January and wondered whether it was suitable to also organise the Meet in Africa event to be held in Khartoum from November 1-3. Let's take matters in an organised way and start with Addis Ababa.

Later this year, work will begin on the restoration of a tanning plant from the ancient world. It is located on the Pompeii excavation grounds near the Stabia Gate. The work will be sponsored by UNIC in collaboration with Pompeii’s archeological office.
Although it was discovered between 1873 and 1874, excavations of the tannery were completed by Amadeo Maiuri in the 1950s. The building comprised the owner’s residence as well as the rooms devoted to the tanning process. At the back lie 15 round brick basins coated with cocciopesto (earthenware), complete with inlet and outlet holes. Twelve of these were used for vegetable tanning of hides, and three for rock alum tanning of skins.

Hungary has demanded more stringent measures and fines on Austrian tanneries which the country claims are polluting the border River Raab. In view of the fact that the solutions agreed to by the Austrians have not yet been implemented, the Austrian ambassador has been summoned to the Hungarian Foreign Office.
Since the end of January, the Raab has been filled with foam. Hungarian specialists have been monitoring the pollution and, according to Hungarian Environment Minister Gábor Fodor, the level of naphthalene-disulfonate – thought to be the cause of the foam on the Raab – has increased from 45 milligrams per litre in 2003 to 125 milligrams today. He alleged that this continual pollution was probably attributable to the Wollsdorf tannery, which he stated had frequently exceeded the permissible levels.

At the end of January the first Middle East Leather Seminar was held at the Sheraton Jumeirah Beach Resort & Towers Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, organised by Alzar FZE and sponsored by Trumpler International and Mimosa Africa Ltd. The presentations, covering many aspects of leather, its manufacture and marketing, were interesting and informative.
Mr Zarkesh of Alzar welcomed the delegates, saying: ‘Today marks a new beginning for the middle eastern leather industry. Not only will it create a bridge between the technologically advanced European suppliers and the tanneries of the Middle East, but also attempts to create a connection between academia and the leather industry.’

According to recent reports, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has ordered the closure of two factories in Jinja. Leather Industries of Uganda and Skyfat Tannery are accused of releasing toxic gases and untreated effluent into Lake Victoria. Dr Henry Aryamanya Mugisha, NEMA's executive director, told Sun Jun of Skyfat and Sangoy Ghosh of Leather Tanning that he was closing the factories with immediate effect because they had continued operating in a reckless manner and were producing hazardous waste.

In line with the increasing importance of Vietnam in the leather industry, Italy’s Rino Mastrotto Group have opened a finishing plant there. This is their first production initiative in Asia, with around 100 employees. The group are also present in Asunción, Paraguay, with a tannery working from raw to wet-blue. In Brazil, after their divorce by mutual consent from the Bertin group, with whom they had a joint venture, Bermas, Rino Mastrotto have kept on a unit for the production of crust which employs 250.
These foreign adventures haven’t decreased the importance of the Italian operations: Basmar, Calbe/Brusarosco, Pomari, Galassia, Apelle, employing around 460 people. Turnover is estimated at €300 million. One of the world’s largest tanning groups, it is estimated that the group’s production is 50% fashion, 20% automotive and 30% upholstery.

last month I wrote about the growing importance of fair trade, along with humanitarian concerns and consideration for the environment. Fortunately these issues will not go away although they are bound to suffer from various setbacks. In the wake of controversy surrounding animal abuse at Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co, the Animal Welfare Institute has released a report analysing humane slaughter enforcement at US meat processing plants over a five-year period from 2002 through to 2007.
As a result of their investigation, AWI concluded that ensuring animals raised for food are handled and slaughtered in a humane manner is a low priority of US agricultural enforcement agencies and of the US animal agriculture industry.

The Export Development and International Trade Ministry of Sri Lanka has increased the export cess on raw hides and skins. Revised tax for raw hides and skins is 50% of FOB value or Rs350 per kg which drops to 25% of the FOB value or Rs225 per sq ft for the wet state.

Nguyen Thi Tong, general secretary of the Vietnam Leather and Footwear Association (Lefaso), has said that Vietnam’s leather and footwear sector is competing well in quality terms with products from other countries, according to the Vietnamese News Agency. She added that the sector plans to improve the quality of higher-priced goods to increase their competitiveness, and improve product design and marketing. Leather and footwear producers should increase raw materials imports if domestic producers failed to meet their materials demands, said Tong.

In January, Tasman industries completed the purchase of a 100,000 sq ft tannery in Hartford, Wisconsin.
According to company president Norman Tasman, the company have immediate plans to double the size of the plant.

Farrukh Nazir, from PCSIR Leather Research Centre, Karachi, Pakistan, reviews the use of mangrove as an ecologically friendly tanning material.

An awareness of restricted substances is critical for all involved in the leather supply chain. Many substances are restricted either through legislation or through the brands and eco-labels. Although the leather industry is becoming more aware of the substances that are restricted, it is of interest to consider the background to their listing and some of the reasons behind their restriction. This article provides an overview of the element lead (Pb).

Eser Eke Bayramoglu, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Leather Engineering, Ege University, Türkiye, highlights the use of essential oils as potential biocides for the leather industry

The Problem
Fine breaks in the grain surface of leather, especially in the belly area, arising from the take off of the skin at the abattoir is commonly known at Butcher’s Strain, Strained Grain or Belly Strain. Providing the damage is slight and remains close to the belly edge of the skin, its impact is slight. However, if it is sufficiently severe, the resulting loss in useable leather can be significant. In severe cases the damage can extend right across the skin in an arc over the shoulder area.

A new giant is born! Brazilian based JBS, the world's biggest meat packer which bought Swift in the US about eight months ago, has now in one astonishing strike also acquired National Beef, Smithfield Beef, Five Rivers and the Tasman Group in Australia.
If approved by the US Justice Department the group will show a daily kill of 42,500 head, far above rival packers Cargill (29,000 head) and Tyson (28,300 head). Worldwide JBS slaugher will increase to 80,000 head per day.

The American market, that had been limping along for much of the year, came to life during the first week of March as Asian buyers found the need to step in and replenish depleted inventories.

The topsy-turvy world of share market collapses, interest rates cuts and share market recoveries continued unabated throughout March. The American banking system, just as Julius Ceasar before it, failed to beware the ides of March and Bear Sterns suffered the same fate as good old Julius.

In the four week period ended March 23, Federally Inspected Slaughter amounted to an average kill of 639,750, up from the 620,000 of our previous report and also up on the 631,500 average of the same period last year. FIS was  running at 0.4% behind the 2007 figures.

BASF have posted a further record quarter for the first three months of 2008. First-quarter sales rose by almost 9% to €15.9 billion, while income from operations (EBIT) before special items increased by more than 11% compared with the same period of 2007 to almost €2.4 billion.

Ukraine's State Statistics Committee reports that there were 5.96 million head of cattle on farms in Ukraine on April 1 this year, 10.6% fewer than on the same date in 2007.

Statistics Norway reports that there were 891,414 head of cattle on farms in Norway as of January 1 this year, compared with 903,280 at the start of 2007 and 919,679 at the start of 2006.

Kosovo's Statistics Office reports that Kosovo exported leather and leather products worth E698,000 in January, compared with E185,000 in January 2007.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's Federal Office of Statistics reports that the production of leather and leather products in Bosnia and Herzegovina in March was 9.2% lower than in February and 15.9% lower than in March 2007.

Qatar imported 189.050 kilos of raw hides and skins, and leather, worth QAR3.86 million (USD1.06 million) in 2007, according to Qatar's General Secretariat for Development Planning. The country also imported 6.02 million kilos of leather products worth US$34.4 million last year.

Hungary's Central Statistical Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in Hungary in the first two months of this year was 51.7% higher than in the same period in 2007.

Slovenia's Statistics Office reports that the number of cattle slaughtered in slaughterhouses in Slovenia in February, 9,967, was 1.8% lower than in January and 11.4% higher than in February 2007.

Ukraine's State Statistics Committee reports that the production of leather and leather products in Ukraine in the first quarter of this year was 27.6% higher than in the same period in 2007.

Officials in Laos' Sayaboury province report that the province exported 360 cattle worth more than US$7,954 in the first half of the 2007-2008 financial year, according to the KPL news agency.

Macedonia's State Statistical Office reports that the average gross monthly wage in the Macedonian leather industry in the first two months of this year was US$263, 39.3% higher than in the same period last year.

Croatia's Central Bureau of Statistics reports that leather and leather products' production in Croatia in the first quarter of this year was 16% higher than in the same period in 2007.

Sekong province in Laos has set a target of raising 20,000 cattle by the end of this year, according to the KPL news agency.

President Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan signed a resolution on April 21 introducing measures to increase livestock production in the country, according to the Uza news agency.

Ukraine's State Statistics Committee reports that Ukraine exported leather and leather products worth US$56 million in the first two months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 11.3%.

Montenegro's Statistics Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in Montenegro in the first quarter of this year was 48.9% lower than in the same period in 2007.

JBS SA have received approval from the Australian government to purchase multi-species processor Tasman Group. JBS plan to complete the $150 million deal on May 2 and integrate Tasman as a subsidiary of JBS-Swift & Co, Greeley, Colorado, who already own four beef processing plants and four cattle feedlots in Australia.

Japan has suspended beef imports from a National Beef Packing Co plant following the inclusion of one carton which contained a portion of vertebral column, a specified risk material prohibited by Japanese protocols.

Gerber Technology, a business unit of Gerber Scientific Inc of the USA, officially opened their Advanced Technology Centre (ATC) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on April 8, 2008, with a celebration that included over 150 guests, including representatives of media, government and customers, as well as local and overseas partners. Bui Xuan Khu, permanent vice minister of industry and trade, was chief guest at the opening ceremony together with Kenneth Fairfax, US Consul General, and Marc Giles, president and CEO of Gerber Scientific.

Cotance is stepping up actions in the defence of the leather sector's Intellectual Property Rights. A Newsflash has been up-loaded on the Euroleather site (COTANCE links up to the European Commission website) allowing real-time intelligence about counterfeit shipments to customs in the member states.

Argentina has extended to March 31 its limits on beef exports, which were imposed by President Nestor Kirchner in March 2006 in an effort to safeguard domestic beef supplies at low prices and curb inflation. Buenos Aires will continue to limit exports to 40,000 metric tons of beef on the bone per month.

Ion-mask, the revolutionary super-hydrophobic treatment from P2i Ltd, has attracted substantial investment from Unilever Ventures. The additional funding will allow P2i to accelerate the introduction of its ground-breaking technology across its chosen market segments.


For exactly 100 years Otto Dille have been dealing with the import and export of vegetable tanning agents and has developed into a trading company known far beyond Germany.

Since July 1, 2007, what was formerly Cognis' Process Chemicals SBU has been trading under the name of Pulcra Chemicals, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Cognis group.

South Korea has agreed to open its market to all US beef products from cattle of all ages, US trade representative Susan Schwab said in a statement. South Korea closed its market to US beef and beef products after a case of BSE was discovered in the US in December 2003. Prior to this time, South Korea was the third-largest export market for US beef and beef products.

Returning to its traditional early date schedule, the forthcoming The WSA Show will be held under one roof at the Las Vegas Convention Centre (LVCC) on July 28-30, 2008, with the luxury/designer exhibition, The Collections at WSA, continuing for an extra day, July  28-31, 2008, within the suites of The Venetian. 

The Czech Statistical Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in the Czech Republic in the first two months of this year was 5.1% higher than in the same period last year.

Turkey's State Statistics Institute reports that the production of leather and leather products in Turkey in February was 9.7% lower than in February 2007. In comparison, industrial output in Turkey in February was 7.5% higher year-on-year.

Ireland's Central Statistics Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in Ireland in February was 72.1% higher than in the same month in 2007.

Spain's National Statistics Institute reports that the production of leather and leather products in Spain in February was 3.4% higher than in the same month in 2007. In comparison, industrial output in Spain in February was 3.9% higher year-on-year.

Latvia's Central Statistical Bureau reports that Latvia exported raw hides and skins, and leather, worth US$9.76 million in the first two months of this year, of which 93% were exported to the European Union.

Croatia's Central Bureau of Statistics reports that the number of employees in Croatia's leather industry in February was 1.8% higher than in January and 3.9% higher than in February 2007. 

Slovakia's Statistical Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in Slovakia in the first two months of this year was 9.2% lower than in the same period in 2007.

Albania's National Statistics Institute reports that Albania imported leather and leather products worth US$13.6 million in the first two months of this year, compared with imports worth US$13.5 million in the same period in 2007.

The first stage of a new livestock farm was inaugurated recently in the Kuryinsky district in the Altai region in Siberia, according to BISNIS, part of the US Department of Commerce, Washington DC. The project is worth an estimated US$6.36 million.

Hungary's Central Statistical Office reports that Hungary imported leather and leather products (not including raw hides and skins) worth E23.4 million in January, a year-on-year decrease of 2.6%. Hungary exported the same types of commodities worth E12 million in January, a year-on-year increase of 32.1%.

Clariant will be showing their spring and summer colours for 2009 at Guangzhou Shoes & Leather Fair, May 28-31. Their new collection of leathers, based on spring/summer 2009 colour and fashion trends, covers most types of leathers, including shoe upper, handbag, garment, sofa etc.

Soraco offer tannery machinery accessories made from a wide range of materials. Accessories are an important as the last link in a long chain which enable tanners to optimise quality, yield, production and costs.

LANXESS are launching new products for leather retanning and finishing at FIMEC, April 8 to 11, in Novo Hamburgo, Brazil. The focus will be on innovative products and technologies for retanning and finishing.

Levotan X-Cel, the latest development in retanning, consists in an optimised polymer dispersion using innovative technology based on expandable microcapsules.

Advantage Partners, an Asia-based private equity firm, have announced that the funds that it services have entered into an agreement to acquire 100% of GST AutoLeather Inc (GST), a leading global supplier of automotive leather, from SILLC Holdings. GST are a premier global provider of leather upholstery for automotive seating and trim and supplies many of the world's major automotive original equipment manufacturers, including Toyota, Honda, General Motors, Chrysler, Ford, Volkswagen, SAIC, and Nanjing, among others.



IQTEX and BASF have jointly developed a unique, intelligent system which adapts shoes to suit weather conditions. To make this possible, IQTEX have processed a special superabsorbing fleece from BASF into an innovative ventilation element known as Vayu Verde.

According to Meatingplace.com, , a Justice Department official has said that the JBS purchase of two of their US competitors does not necessarily constitute a violation of the nation's antitrust laws.

Prime Tanning in Maine and Shanghai Richina Leather in China, announced a merger of the large tanning organizations during the APLF in Hong Kong on Monday. The press release issued by both company follows:

Croatia's Central Bureau of Statistics reports that the average gross monthly wage in the Croatian leather industry in January was US$749), a year-on-year increase of 3.8%. In comparison, the average gross monthly wage in Croatia in January was 7.4% higher year-on-year at US$1,594.

Malta's National Statistics Office reports that Malta's leather and leather products industry recorded total sales worth E5.01 million in 2007, compared with E6.62 million in 2006 and E12.6 million in 2005.

Israel's Central Statistics Bureau reports that Israel imported leather and leather products worth US$21.1 million in the first two months of this year, compared with US$17.3 million in the same period in 2007.

Turkey's State Statistics Institute reports that Turkey exported raw hides and skins, and leather, worth US$19.7 million in the first two months of this year, compared with US$15.5 million in the same period in 2007.

Slovenia's Statistics Office reports that the number of cattle in Slovenia at the end of 2007 was 479,581, compared with 476,492 at the end of 2006.

Serbia's Statistical Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in Serbia in the first two months of this year was 4% higher than in the same period in 2007. In comparison, Serbian industrial output in January and February was 8% higher year-on-year.

Ireland's Central Statistics Office reports that the number of cattle slaughtered in Ireland in the first two months of this year was 8.1% lower than in the same period in 2007. The number of sheep slaughtered was 2.4% higher year-on-year.

On April 2, VSP Corporation, organisers of the 6^th SLS Expo HCM 2008 (Saigon Leather & Shoe Fair and Exhibition) announced that the fair had been cancelled unexpectedly due to some external difficulties beyond their control.

The next editions of Simac and Tanning Tech will take place from October 28-30, 2008, at the Bologna fairgrounds, Bologna, Italy.

The US Department of Agriculture have taken their National Animal Identification System (NAIS) one step further by announcing a draft business plan that shows how the NAIS will be integrated with other marketing programmes, such as the USDA Process Verified, the Quality Systems Assessment and the Non-Hormone Treated Cattle Programmes.

The TFL Group will invest in a new Research and Application Centre on the premises of TFL France SAS.in Huningue.