Figures from China’s Customs Department suggest China is managing to buck the global slowdown with maintained growth throughout the first half of 2001. Although the growth rate has fallen, exports of leather and leather goods for the six months to June were $5.8 billion, up 9% when compared with the same period last year.

A breakdown of exports in leather goods is as follows: leather and rawhide up 114%, leather garments up 30%, accessories for shoes and boots up 8%, leather gloves 8%, travel bags and accessories up 1%, leather shoes up 1%, and fur garments down 2%.