Pressing issues like the relocation of tanneries from Hazaribagh to Savar and bringing all tanneries up-to-date with new compliance requirements put a dent in Bangladesh’s export earnings from leather and leather goods, preventing the sector from tapping into the opportunity provided by the US-China tariff war.

Leather industry experts said the present situation held back top global buyers from sourcing their leather from Bangladesh.

Export earnings from crust leather saw a 5.42% decline to £60.28 million, while leather products registered a 49% fall to £74.46 million.