According to information released by the Centre for the Brazilian Leather Industries (CICB), leather exports have doubled in five years. CICB believes that support from the Brazilian Export Promotion Agency (APEX -Brasil) has helped exports to rise from $760 million in 2000 to over $1.4 billion in 2005.

For over five years APEX has funded an Integrated Sectoral Programme which has made it possible to improve the quality of Brazilian leather and increase exports of added-value products. In the first half of 2006, leather exports increased 28% to $863.3 million from $675.5 million in the same period in 2005.