Trade union sources in Bulgaria say the Prista AD, leather manufacturers, are preparing to transfer production to South Africa due to the flooding of the Bulgarian market with smuggled leather and leather products from Turkey and China, according to the Bulgarian Economic Review.
Prista have not commented on the report. The company have an annual production capacity of 2.5 million sq m of processed leather, but is only operating at 10%.
Prista are strategically important as they are the only Bulgarian company to have the capability to manufacture leather furniture.
South African diplomatic sources in Bulgaria were reported recently as saying that Bulgarian leather manufacturers plan to invest US$2 million in the country in a leather processing project.