Complex issues discussed at International Leather Forum
A number of prominent speakers participated at the International Leather Forum on January 20 in Sao Paolo, Brazil. The forum was organized by the Brazilian Tannery Association (CICB) and supported by the Brazilian Export Promotion Agency (APEX).
Hidenet USA’s Donald Ohsman started by giving a summary of what had happened to the international hide market during and after prices collapsed in September 2008. He anticipates an economic recovery in 2010 and believes demand for finished goods should increase.
Secretary of the International Tanners Council (ICT), Paul Pearson, gave an overview of the industry, predicting that growth in developed countries will be pretty flat this year, while emerging economies will see increased activity.
CICB president, Wolfgang Goerlich, discussed the Brazilian leather sector following a difficult 2009, when leather exports fell dramatically. He forecast that exports would be around 30% higher in 2010, but would still be relatively low compared with previous years.
Miguel Gaplerin, director industrial operations and sourcing at Sadesa, Argentina, said that, having reached an interim high of 62.3 million head in 2006, the country’s total herd size had fallen to 52.3 million head in 2009, and that slaughter had risen 16%.
Executive director of the Confederation of European Union Tanneries (COTANCE), Gustavo Quijano, discussed environmental and ecological regulations and how best to deal with them.
Finally, APLF director Michael Duck talked about the Asian market, which he described as the “ideal market” in which to sell raw materials as well as leathergoods.
