The Pakistan Leather Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PLGMEA) is urging the country’s commerce ministry to ban the export of raw, pickled, wet/dry blue, crust hides and splits and skins.

PLGMEA chairman Fawad Ijaz Khan claims exporters are "misdeclaring" wet blue hides to avoid paying the 20% duty. Banning all exports until crust stage would prevent this from happening, he said.

According to the PLGMEA, leather garment exports fell 28% in the year ended May 2012 compared with the prior-year period.

"The government should encourage the export of finished leather and value-added products like leather garments, leathergoods, leather footwear and leather gloves rather than the export of raw material," he suggested.

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