COTANCE sends stark warning to European trade authorities
15/10/2013
“Every day we receive more information on supplier countries throttling exports of raw hides, skins and wet blue," it said in a statement. "More and more countries are adopting protectionist measures, reducing the supply in the open market and competitors operating behind such 'protecting walls' increasingly consume those resources remaining.”
The European leather industry’s representative body in Brussels discussed the most pressing matters at its recent conference, held on the sidelines of the Lineapelle fair in Bologna, Italy, last week.
“Argentina, Brazil, Andean Countries, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Russia, Ukraine, Morocco, Nigeria and now Turkey do not allow European tanners to source freely raw materials in their domestic market while they raid barrier-free markets such as Europe. Without reciprocity the European leather industry’s days are numbered.
“Europe needs to make up its mind whether it wants to keep the world’s top leather industry at home generating wealth and employment or whether it will surrender without resistance to unfair trade barriers and rogue business practices."
Other topics on the agenda included the environmental footprint of leather and the EU pilot for developing official product category rules; EU labelling of leather, safety and origin marking; and the EU rules on chrome VI restrictions.
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