French tanning industry records growth despite raw material shortage
02/01/2014
Tanners recorded revenues of EUR 126 million in the first half of 2013, compared EUR 89 million in the first six months of 2012. This increase came despite a contraction in the volume of leather tanners produced from cow and bull hides and from sheepskin.
Over the six-month period in 2013, tanners in France finished 1,155 tonnes of cow and bull hide and 2.1 million sheepskins. These figures represent decreases of 11% and 5% respectively compared to the output the French tanning industry recorded in the first six months of 2012. In the first half of 2013, they produced 793,000 square-metres of finished of calf leather, which is an increase of 1% compared to the same period the year before.
At the same time, figures show that producers of leathergoods and footwear in France recorded growth of 3% and 14% respectively in the first six months of 2013.
Export figures also grew, in comparison to the first six months of 2012, with leathergoods sales overseas increasing by 2% to reach almost EUR 2.4 billion in the first half of 2013 and footwear exports up by 5% to reach EUR 985 million over the same period.
This growth has come despite what the Conseil National du Cuir has described as “ongoing problems linked to the supply of raw material”. Demand for high-quality, locally produced leather among French manufacturers outstrips supply, the organisation said. It added that a decrease in meat consumption in France was the main contributing factor.
In the first half of 2013, slaughter of bulls and cows in France declined by 5% compared to the same period in 2012, while the slaughter of calves was down by 4% and that of sheep by 2%.
This has affected French tanners, although, in the case of calf skins, they were able to increase their production thanks to sourcing skins of a high enough quality outside the country.
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