Earthquake concerns
23/05/2008
When something as devastating as the earthquake that struck Sichuan province in China on May 12 occurs, the principal concern, of course, is the loss of human life, which is expected to exceed 50,000.
Nevertheless, in the build-up to the Guangzhou Shoe & Leather Exhibition, which starts on May 28, the China Leather Industry Association (CLIA) is anticipating that industry figures will ask about the effect the earthquake has had on tanneries and footwear factories in the region.
The association’s initial announcements on the issue have made it clear that there was only a small number of factories in the area of Sichuan most affected and that, as far as CLIA has been able to find out, damage was limited to cracks in factory walls and minor injuries to a small number of workers. None of the sites it has made contact with had stopped production.
The industry may suffer an indirect effect of the situation in Sichuan if factory workers from there leave their jobs in other parts of China to go home to check on their relatives or help with the relief effort.
CLIA said it would continue to gather as much information as it could and share it at the Guangzhou event.
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