Following the mostly negative news of the last weeks and reduced sales of raw material almost everywhere, more and more people ask themselves - where are all those hides?

Another Somerset leather business retains a diverse and impressive client list which ranges from the Royal Household to the ‘Death Eaters' in the Harry Potter films.

Nestled in the former premises of the National School in Street, C A Cornish draw on the leather skills and craft in the area to provide designers and artists with leather bindings and trimmings of quality and durability. The primary product is a flat piece of leather for piping, decorative piping.

A clear example of a UK manufacturer which has stayed loyal to a very specialised niche product and thus continued to thrive despite recent economic trends is L H Nichols. The Yeovil-based tannery are one of only a handful of companies worldwide which tan slinkskins.

Operation of a direct recycling plant for final liquors in chrome tanning by Juan Manuel Salazar, Americana de Curtidos Ltda. Y CIA SCA, Colombia. This paper was presented at the 2008 FLAQTIC Congress in Rio de Janeiro.

Hungary's Central Statistical Office reports that Hungary imported leather and leather products worth E217 million in the first ten months of this year, a year-on-year decrease of 6%.

Greece's National Statistical Service reports that the production of leather and leather products in Greece in the first ten months of this year was 1.1% higher than in the same period in 2007.

The Vietnamese government has issued a decree under which unprocessed livestock products will be subject to a zero rate of VAT, according to the Vietnamese News Agency. The decree becomes operative from January 1, 2009.

Ukraine's State Statistics Committee reports that Ukraine exported leather and leather products worth US$325 million in the first ten months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 2.8%. Leather and leather products accounted for 0.5% of total Ukrainian exports during the period.

Slovenia's Statistics Office reports that the number of cattle slaughtered in slaughterhouses in Slovenia in October, at 11,303, was 3.4% higher than in September and 9.2% lower than in October 2007.

Statistics Norway reports that Norway exported raw hides and skins worth US$59 million in the first eleven months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 6.7%.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's Federal Office of Statistics reports that the production of leather and leather products in Bosnia and Herzegovina in November was 10.4% higher than in October and 2.2% lower than in November 2007.

A Turkish business delegation, including officials from leather industry companies, visited Uzbekistan for trade talks in late December, according to UzReport.

Croatia's Central Bureau of Statistics reports that the production of leather and leather products in Croatia in the first eleven months of this year was 8.1% higher than in the same period in 2007.

The Statistical Office of the Bosnian Serb Republic reports that the production of leather and leather products in the Republic in the first eleven months of this year was 8.7% lower than in the same period in 2007.

Albania's National Statistics Institute reports that Albania imported leather and leather products worth US$64.7 million in the first ten months of this year, compared with imports worth US$72.8 million in the same period in 2007.

Serbia's Statistical Office reports that the average monthly wage in Serbia's leather industry in the first eleven months of this year was US$338, 20.1% higher than in the same period in 2007.

USDA report that cattle going to market during November totalled 1.58 million, 9% below 2007 and 12% below 2006, making it the second lowest marketings for the month of November since the series began in 1996.

LANXESS AG have continued on their path of growth and are increasing their earnings forecast for the full year 2008. The company now expect EBITDA pre exceptionals to come in at between E710 million and E730 million.

DyStar completed pre-registration of all relevant chemicals under the new REACH Regulation by the deadline of December 1, 2008. Pre-registration was undertaken for all DyStar companies, both in the European Union and elsewhere.

Scottish Leather Group's managing director, John Henderson, retired in December after 38 years' continuous service with the company. This has led to a number of senior appointments.

According to meatingplace.com, JBS SA, National Beef Packing Co and the US Department of Justice have agreed to stay court proceedings intended to block the Brazilian company's acquisition of the Kansas City based packer in an apparent effort to settle the case.

Daniel Dose and Sven Hofmann travelled from Germany to The University of Northampton's BSLT in December to finalise the installation of four multi-functional Dose drums in the tannery.

Croatia's Central Bureau of Statistics reports that the number of employees in Croatia's leather industry in October was 0.4% higher than in September and 3.5% lower than in October 2007. 

Turkey's State Statistics Institute reports that Turkey's leather and leather processing industry was operating at an average of 64.6% of total capacity in November, compared with 64.7% in November 2007.

Romania's National Statistics Institute reports that the average gross monthly wage in Romania's leather industry in September was US$335, a month-on-month increase of 3.4%.

Slovakia's Statistical Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in Slovakia in the first ten months of this year was 20.4% lower than in the same period in 2007.

Statistics Georgia reports that Georgia produced leather and leather products worth US$634,169 in the first half of this year.

Ireland's Central Statistics Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in Ireland in October was 21.7% lower than in the same month in 2007.

The Czech Statistical Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in the Czech Republic in the first ten months of this year was 5% lower than in the same period in 2007.

Russia's State Statistics Committee reports that a total of 37,700 people were employed in Russia's leather industry in September this year, of which 37,100 were full-time employees, according to the Interfax news agency.

Jessica Hartwell and Pete Winterbourne from SkyeSkyns, one of the few remaining manufacturers and suppliers of sheepskins in the UK, visited The University of Northampton's BSLT in December for an intensive five day, tailor-made course.

Tanners expect to collect more than 2.5 million raw hides and skins during this Eid-ul-Azha festival with credit support from the commercial banks despite a dull global market.

Fawad Ijaz Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Leather Garment Manufacturers &
 Exporters Association (PLGMEA) has urged Syed Mohibullah Shah, chief executive, Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), to increase the 50% subsidy 
to 75% for PLGMEA members for participation in international 
exhibitions.

Fashion students were presented with 100 top quality skins to create a collection for two special catwalk shows celebrating the centenary of the British School of Leather Technology (BSLT) and its predecessors.

Livestock analysts say that lower wholesale beef prices have forced packers to cut slaughter levels.

Dow Chemical, one of America's biggest chemicals companies, have also been hit by rising costs in the past year. They are to axe 5,000 jobs and shut plants in an effort to cut costs.

Spain's National Statistics Institute reports that the production of leather and leather products in Spain in the first ten months of this year was 8.6% lower than in the same period last year.

Hungary's Central Statistical Office reports that Hungary imported leather and leather products worth E191 million in the first nine months of this year, a year-on-year decrease of 6.6%.

Turkey's State Statistics Institute reports that the production of leather and leather products in Turkey in October was 11.5% higher than in October last year. In comparison, the annual decrease in industrial output in Turkey in October was 8.5%.

Israel's Central Statistics Bureau reports that Israel imported leather and leather products worth US$121 million in the first ten months of this year, compared with US$107 million in the same period in 2007.

Vietnam's General Statistics Office reports that there were 6.4 million head of cattle in Vietnam as of October 1, 2008, 4.7% fewer than on the same date in 2007.

Vietnam's General Statistics Office reports that there were 6.4 million head of cattle in Vietnam as of October 1, 2008, 4.7% fewer than on the same date in 2007.

Ukraine's State Statistics Committee reports that leather and leather products' sales in Ukraine were worth US$243 million in the first ten months of this year, compared with US$177 million in the same period in 2007. 

Croatia's Central Bureau of Statistics reports that Croatia exported leather and leather products worth US$285 million in the first ten months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 4.1%. Croatian imports of the same types of commodities in the January to October period were 9.9% higher year-on-year at US$413 million.

Macedonia's State Statistical Office reports that the number of employees in Macedonia's leather industry in the first ten months of this year was 1.9% lower than in the same period in 2007. In comparison, the overall number of employees in the country's manufacturing sector in the January to October period was 0.5% higher year-on-year.

Serbia's Statistical Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in Serbia in the first ten months of this year was 2.7% lower than in the same period in 2007. In comparison, Serbian industrial output in the January to October period this year was 2.4% higher year-on-year.

The Bosnian Serb Republic's Institute of Statistics reports that cattle slaughter in commercial slaughterhouses in the Republic in the third quarter of this year were 5.9% higher in number terms and 6.7% higher in weight terms than in the same quarter in 2007.

Possible trends in leather articles and fashion items for next year’s autumn/winter seasons were presented in Guangzhou by leather chemical specialist Clariant. More than 200 people, including tannery operators and leather, footwear and bag wholesalers and buyers, were updated on these trends as well as the techniques and treatments needed to achieve different looks and colours on leather articles.
Held for the second time this year in China, the event took place at the Ritz-Carlton Guangzhou and generated as much interest and enthusiasm from the industry as the previous edition, which was held in Wenzhou in April.

Dennis Shelly died on Friday, November 21, 2008. He had an automobile accident while returning home for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Etam France have had to refund purchasers of 881 pairs of Chinese made shoes from their stores after health authority ‘Direction Générale de la Santé raised the alarm about anti fungal agent dimethylfumarate, which is banned in the European Union, being used to minimise damage to footwear during transportation. Earlier this year sachets of dimethylfumarate were linked with severe allergic reactions suffered by people who had purchased certain brands of Chinese made leather furniture.

These are the references to the article published in the November/ December 2008 edition of Leather International on 'Recycling chrome liquors by Juan Manuel Salazar of Americana de Curtidos.

An EU delegation is now visiting Vietnam as part of efforts to review current European anti-dumping measures on Vietnamese leather shoes.