EU ministers have been asked by the European Commission to shelve import tariffs on a range of leather products, because of concern that demand is outstripping supply in the EU. The suspension of duties would be indefinite, although the European Commission will inevitably review these tariff breaks within a year; assuming they are approved, they came into force on New Year’s day.

Products covered include sheep or lamb leather, without wool, tanned or retanned but not further prepared, whether or not split; goat or kid skin leather, without hair on, tanned or retanned but not further prepared, whether or not split; and leather of other animals, without hair on, not further prepared than tanned (including swine and reptile skins).