Business as usual was mixed. With such a wide range of products on show, from the raw materials and chemicals, through machinery and finished leather, to the finished goods provided at the China International Footwear Fair and Moda Shanghai in adjoining halls, it could not be otherwise. The feeling from the US traders was that it was hard to shift their supplies, particularly at the prices they wanted to obtain, but there was also said to be an American trader who had sold 130 containers on a sales trip across China in the run-up to the show. The Australian pavilion was said to have enjoyed their best show in several years and Mimosa Africa said they were kept busy throughout the fair and were definitely planning on returning in 2008. There were 1,193 exhibitors across all three events from 37 countries and regions and these included 23 group pavilions. There was also a programme of special events including an afternoon seminar on Environment Friendly Supplies which was put on by ASSINTECAL, the Brazilian association for companies of components for leather, footwear and related goods, in partnership with the CLIA. CLIA honorary chairman, Xu Yong told those attending that China was taking a very serious view of pollution and that new environmental regulations would come into force on October 1. He said that the government favoured the idea of gathering tanneries together into clusters to allow central control of wastewater treatment etc. A reduction of energy consumption by 20% and pollution by 10% per unit of GDP is also sought.
