Canada emerges as good market for Uruguayan leather
10/05/2011
Canadian firm Natural Meat Distribution used to import beef from Uruguay until it became too expensive to compete with local meat or imports from the US and Brazil. Spokesperson Daniel Zeferino said Uruguayan beef was no longer cheaper from meat from these competitor countries and that demand for this product had slowed in Canada.
By April 23, imports of Uruguayan beef into Canada for the year totalled just over 5,000 tonnes, compared to more than 11,750 tonnes at the same time last year.
However, the contacts Natural Meat Distribution had built up in Uruguay were good and the company decided to import finished leather from integrated packer companies there instead.
Mr Zeferino told the newspaper that demand among furniture manufacturers in Canada was good, with the leather mostly going into chair upholstery. “Uruguayan leather can compete very well, although it is up against imports from Brazil and from Italy. The Uruguayan leather is perceived as being very natural, but with a high level of tears and scars. I’d say Canada can offer Uruguayan leather a very promising future, but tanners have to keep paying attention to quality.”
Share this story:
