Farmers in one of North China's major leather trading centres, Xinji City, have stepped up their efforts in the marketing of their leather products in the international marketplace.

In the US, five Xinji leather enterprises have already joined forces to create the Xuelu (Snow Deer) Leather Co., Ltd. of Manhattan, New York, while earlier this year, several of Xinji City’s leather enterprises registered China's first chamber of commerce for leather enterprises in the country.

According to local statistics, Xinji had some 1,073 leather enterprises at the end of 2001, employing more than 50,000 people. Their combined output was valued at 5 billion yuan ($602 million). Though the bulk was produced for the domestic market, exports are increasingly accounting for sales, with Russia providing an especially receptive market for Xinji-produced sheepskin garments. In fact, some 70% of total sheepskin garments sold in Russia are reported to be sourced from Xinji.

Inroads are also being made into other Asian markets, as evidenced by the commencement of fur product shipments by from the Dongming Leather Co., Ltd to the Republic of Korea last year – trade that contributed $40 million to foreign exchange.