Increased auto leather consumption likely to affect supply
According to a new report, ‘Automotive Leather in Europe 2007’, published by Irish research company Research and Markets, increased demand for automotive leather is likely to affect price, quality and supply.
The study reveals that leather is being used more and more by car manufacturers in
At the same time, players in the leather supply chain including tanners, cut and sew operators, process chemical and coating manufacturers and first-tier system suppliers are facing a range of challenges posed by the automotive industry’s current development. For example, vehicle manufacturers are looking to achieve significant savings in their sourcing costs for materials and systems, thereby increasing pressure on leather suppliers and, in some cases, compromising on quality.
Topics covered in the report include: How rapid will the roll-out of leather among volume car producers be? How far down the model ranges will fitment go? And what will be the balance between leather’s availability as an option or standard? What, if anything, will the luxury car producers do in order to maintain the exclusivity of leather in their vehicles? What are the implications of greater leather consumption on price, quality and supply sources? Will the attempts of Chinese leather suppliers to enter Western markets be successful and what is the future of South American supplies? Will the greater use of leather provide a spur to the use of other leather competing materials like Alcantara? and To what extent will environmental issues influence leather?
The report contains data on current consumption and forecasts of future consumption whilst analysing the latest trends and developments in this increasingly important interiors material sector. It also looks at the developing role of low cost suppliers and the shift of cutting and sewing operation from high cost Western countries to lower cost regions as well as profiling several leading leather suppliers and processors.
