Bolivia has trebled its leather exports since 2009
28/04/2014
Last year, the Bolivian leather industry achieved exports worth $58 million, compared to a figure of just $18 million in 2009. The 2013 figure is an all-time record for the South American country. Last year, the Bolivian Institute for External Commerce measured the volume of hides and skins leaving the country at almost 68,500 tonnes. Much of this material is being exported from Bolivia as wet blue.
One industry leader, Diego Antezana, managing director of Curtiembre Tauro in Santa Cruz, has said demand for Bolivian leather is strong. He told local media recently that his company’s exports increased by 20% in 2013 alone, compared to 2012 and that he expects further growth of around 15% this year.
Another industry figure, Pablo César Talavera, finance director of Curtiembre Santa Cruz, has confirmed that demand is strong but has said raw material price increases of 20% in 2013 have hurt profitability.
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