Arsutoria Studio
Arsutoria Studio

Positive signs from APLF, despite a weak framework

 Let’s say right away that it was a good fair, in spite of the uncertainties dominating the geopolitical picture. The world’s leather industry met in Hong Kong for APLF 2025 (March 12-14), which has reconfirmed itself as Asia’s leading exhibition platform for the leather sector. This year there were 624 exhibitors from 40 countries and regions. Slightly less participation than in the past (it was 740 last year) but the fact remains that Hong Kong’s is the only fair where you can meet the world’s most important tanneries, mostly grouped in national collectives. As many as 24 national pavilions from Australia, Brazil, China (3), France (2), Germany, India (2), Italy (2), Japan, Mexico, Mongolia, Pakistan (2), Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, USA and Uzbekistan.

The Leather section, the most significant at the fair, showcases leathers of all kinds, chemicals and tanning machinery. Rounding out the offerings of the fair as a whole, as always, are the Materials+ (featuring component companies, mostly from Asia) and Fashion Access (mainly leather goods and leather apparel companies) sections.

The organizers’ final press release speaks of more than 11,000 visitors from 68 countries and regions, representing various sectors, including tanning, fashion, footwear, leather goods and materials.

Among them, more than 100 buyers were selected and invited directly by the organizers. More than 800 business meetings were organized in the business matching area, offering high-level networking opportunities.

Italy at APLF 2025 was, as always, represented by two national pavilions: the one organized by UNIC-Italian Tanneries with 27 booths representing some 40 companies, and the one by ASSOMAC with 40 participants representing the tannery machinery and chemical auxiliary suppliers sector. Considering also the exhibitors present independently, as many as 110 Italian companies were present. The balance of their participation is marked by satisfaction, albeit with all due caution. Generally speaking, Italian tanners reported good interest from the visitors who attended, which gave signs of market awakening and confirmed the sensations recorded fifteen days earlier in Milan during Lineapelle.

Similarly, machine manufacturers and suppliers of chemical auxiliaries also noted a higher quality turnout than the previous year, which in some cases led to interesting business negotiations. Agostino Apolito, ASSOMAC general manager who accompanied the Italian companies, was also satisfied. “This year’s was our largest collective in recent years, and at the end of the fair we can say that the results proved us right. It was a good fair that confirmed the strategic role of this international hub capable of attracting visitors from all over Southeast Asia and representing the eastern counterbalance to our Simac Tanning Tech.” 

More mixed is the picture of Italian chemical auxiliary suppliers, who, more than on other occasions, complain about the price issue. Local competition has greatly increased and the price battle sometimes forces orders to be dropped. The decline in Chinese tanning production is being felt and the market seems smaller and smaller.

The Hong Kong fair was, as always, an opportunity to take the pulse of the Chinese market. According to Leather International’s Global Leather Market Report for 2024-2030, China remains the largest consumer of leather in Asia. Footwear will be the primary driver of growth, a sector fueled by an expanding middle class and increased domestic demand for sports and premium shoes. Between now and 2030, the footwear market will grow by 8 percent annually. A similar trend is expected for Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia. Interesting suggestions that clash with a fact of reality: in the first half of 2024, light leather production decreased by 15 percent (official CLIA data).  Numbers that confirm a decline in demand for leather, despite the price of raw hides and skins at historic lows, in favor of alternative materials. The only exception was the production of automotive leather, which grew by 5 percent. Also complicating the picture is the impact that new U.S. tariffs will have on global trade.

Returning to the fair, the three-day event in Hong Kong was also animated by 25 events including seminars, conferences and various presentations that covered specific technical aspects or topics of general interest. Among the most interesting was the Global Footwear Executive Summit (GFES) organized in collaboration with UITIC and SATRA, which focused on the challenges and opportunities that the footwear industry must face, with sustainability and compliance as key topics of the forum. Equally important were the meetings of Leather Naturally and Is It Leather?, organizations committed to promoting leather as a natural and sustainable material that urged the sector to actively join the common effort to give more strength to the information campaigns underway.

 Also worthy of note is the LED Project, an APLF initiative now in its third edition, this year sponsored by the Italian Vegetable Tanned Leather Consortium, which invited six designers from China, Vietnam, Japan and Pakistan to collaborate and design the APLF collection with Tuscan vegetable tanned leather and to exhibit their creations at the fair.

APLF also saw the closing ceremony of the Design-A-Bag Online Competition 2025 as usual, organized with our Arsutoria School. The overall award was won by Eliane Yahari from Argentina with her original Yvoty Bag. The other two finalists were Uthra S Ganesh from India with the project Kolangal and Jiang Si Mi from China with her DoDo Bag.

The next appointment with the Hong Kong fair has already been scheduled: APLF 2026 will be held from March 12th to 14th. Among the new features for next year, it has been leaked that there will be a reorganization of the spaces with the return of the Leather section to Level 1 of the Convention Center and the transfer of the Materials+ and Fashion Access sections to the second level, as it was in 2019.

 

A moment from the APLF press conference: in the center the tireless new Director of APLF Janice Lee, between Christophe Dehard (president of Alliance France Cuir) and Michael Duck (executive Vice President of Informa Markets)
A view of the Italian collective coordinated by ASSOMAC – ITA Agency
A glimpse of the Italian tanneries pavilion
A moment of the award ceremony of the Design a Bag Competition 2025

Trump: 20% tariffs on imports from Europe

On April 2, 2025, a new era began. “Reciprocal” tariffs on imported goods to the United States announced by President Donald Trump will hit all countries that boast a trade balance surplus with the U.S. or similar entry tariffs on American goods. With his “Liberation Day” Trump threw down the gauntlet to global trade, declaring a national emergency to reduce the U.S. domestic trade deficit.

These are the announced duties expected to take effect on April 9: European Union (20%), China (34% rising to 54% considering the tariff already applied), Vietnam (46%), Thailand (36%), Japan (24%), Cambodia (49%), South Africa (30%), India (26%) and Taiwan (32%). A base rate of 10%, on the other hand, will apply to all imports to the United States starting April 5, with the following countries: the United Kingdom, Singapore, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, Colombia, Argentina, El Salvador, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. For Canada and Mexico, the largest exporters to the U.S., the previously adopted 25% duties are confirmed.

For the automotive sector, however, a 25% tariff was established on all cars produced outside the United States, which went into effect on April 3.

The trade war is creating uncertainty and concern around the world. The day after the announcement, the world’s major stock exchanges, from Wall Street to Asia, went heavily into the red. 

For Italian exports it is certainly a blow: according to many operators, the American market is irreplaceable. The Italian fashion and luxury sector is one of the most exposed, along with pharmaceuticals, food and automotive. In 2024, exports to the U.S. from the footwear, leather goods, tannery and fur sectors reached a value of nearly 3 billion. Confindustria, the Italian industrial federation, estimates that U.S. protectionist escalation may result in a 0.6 percent drop in Italian GDP. The risk of losing thousands of jobs is realistic. The problem concerns not only the export of finished goods but also the price increases that will burden the supply chains of products relocated to Asia. Just think of the complex supply chains of  sports shoe brands that will probably have to review their production chains to avoid excessive price increases in the final product.

 

Trump’s duties, first reactions

“Following the announcement by the Trump administration on the imposition of new 20% duties on all European exports, I express great concern about the repercussions this decision will have on our companies and the fashion accessories sector.”

Confindustria Accessori Moda shares data on trade with the US: in 2024, exports to the US from the footwear, leather, tannery and fur sectors reached a value of almost €3 billion. Although this value contracted slightly by 3.5% compared to 2023, it continues to reflect the strength of Italian exports and the high appreciation for the quality of Made in Italy.

Ceolini continues: ‘Unfortunately, the introduction of the new duties will further undermine these results. The increase in costs for American consumers could, in fact, drastically reduce demand for our products, with negative consequences for our companies and jobs, which are a fundamental resource for our sector.

A trade war of tariffs will inevitably bring damage to both sides, harming businesses and consumers on both continents.

In this scenario, I renew Confindustria Accessori Moda’s call for Italy and Europe to unite to oppose this decision and protect the interests of our companies. The issue does not only concern Made in Italy, but the entire European Union, which is in danger of suffering significant damage.”

For the sector, already severely tested by economic difficulties and geopolitical uncertainties, it is very serious to have to face this additional obstacle: “We trust in a timely and effective intervention of the European institutions to protect the future of our companies and workers. We hope that, through the negotiations that Trump himself has mentioned, the situation can be resolved,’ Giovanna Ceolini concluded.

 

EXPORTS TO THE USA 2024: DATA BY SECTOR

Footwear: 1 billion 388 million euro (-4.9% compared to 2023)

Leather goods: €1 billion 216 million (-1.6%)

Tanning: €162 million (-4.1%)

Fur: €21 million (-11.9%)

Freiberg Leather Days increasingly international

Freiberg Leather Days is scheduled for May 21 and 22, 2025. The Congress organized by the Association of German Leather Chemists (VGCT) together with the FILK Research Institute will take place at the Tivoli in Freiberg.

On the program are 24 technical lectures with speakers from 9 countries. The keynote conference is entitled: “Livestock as a value-adding component in regional material flow management“ from Prof Peter Heck, Trier University of Applied Sciences (DE).

The program of the Congress can be downloaded  HERE

World Leather Day 2025 is celebrated on Saturday, April 26

Leather Naturally announces that World Leather Day 2025 will be held on Saturday, April 26, 2025, with the theme “Beyond the Surface. “This year, we’re challenging misconceptions and highlighting leather’s transparency, sustainability, and longevity”.

Launched for the first time in 2022, World Leather Day is a global movement dedicated to celebrating leather as a material and promoting a deeper understanding of the leather industry.

 This year, Leather Naturally aims to promote a deeper look at leather as a material and challenge prejudices and superficial judgments. The “Beyond the Surface” campaign will be focused on three key pillars:

* Transparency: Leather comes from animal hides, a byproduct of the meat industry, making it a key player in the circular economy. Instead of potentially being sent to landfill, hides are transformed into durable goods. By learning more about the origin of leather and its role in the circular economy, consumers can make more informed choices about the products they buy.

* Sustainability: Leather is a natural material that transforms a byproduct that might otherwise be discarded into something durable and valuable. In addition, leather can be repaired and repurposed many times throughout its life, lasting for decades. As such, leather plays a key role in the circular economy.

* Longevity: Genuine leather is a timeless, durable material that lasts for decades. Unlike synthetic alternatives, which can wear out quickly, real leather can be repaired, conditioned, and enjoyed for years. Choosing authentic, animal-based leather means investing in quality, sustainability, and craftsmanship.

Find out more about how to celebrate World Leather Day and its core messages for 2025 on the Leather Naturally website. A social media toolkit will also be shared soon. 

Learn more about World Leather Day 2025

 

 Vegetable-tanned leather, Boldrini new president

Change at the top of the Genuine Italian Vegetable-Tanned Leather Consortium. The board of directors elected Massimo Boldrini (tannery La Perla Azzurra) for the two-year term 2025-2027. He succeeds Leonardo Volpi. He will be joined in the vice-presidency by Paolo Testi and Manuel Casella.

“I would like to thank everyone for the trust placed in me with this appointment,” were the first words of the newly appointed president of the Consortium that protects and guarantees the production of vegetable-tanned leather by bringing together 18 companies in the Tuscan leather district. “Special thanks go to outgoing president Leonardo Volpi, who with great professionalism led the Consortium for two consecutive terms, achieving outstanding results despite the delicate historical moment this sector is going through. Vegetable tanning is more than a technique: it is culture, identity and the expression of a deep bond with the territory. Our task as a consortium is to preserve it, communicate its value and promote the Quality Mark as a symbol of authenticity, traceability and tradition.”

The elected board members are: Michele Battaglia, Maurizio Conti, Stefano Pinori, Paolo Quagli, Simone Remi, Martina Squarcini and Leonardo Volpi.

Micaela Topper is the new president of ICHSLTA

The Annual General Meeting of the International Council of Hides, Skins and Leather Traders’ Associations (ICHSLTA) was held in Hong Kong on March 11, renewing its leadership. Micaela Topper, Executive Director of the Australian company AI Topper, trader of Australian raw hides and skins and wet-blue bovine hides, was elected to the presidency for a two-year term. Chen Zhanguang of the China Leather Industry Association (CLIA) and Nick Winters of the French Leather Federation were elected vice presidents of the ICHSLTA, while Lénaïg Manéat of the French Leather Federation (Fédération Française des Cuirs et Peaux) will continue to manage the organization.

Micaela Topper

Micaela Topper has worked for more than 20 years at AI Topper, a third-generation family business that is among Australia’s leading processors and exporters of hides, skins and finished leather. Micaela has been involved in sustainability on behalf of the Australian Hides, Skins and Leather Association (AHSLEA), with a focus on developing an industry framework and roadmap, with national and international engagement with key stakeholders, as well as education and communication strategies to promote change.

In Hong Kong, Micaela Topper said, “My goal as president of ICHSLTA will be to work closely with all industry stakeholders to address key challenges such as sustainability, traceability and transparency. By fostering collaboration and open dialogue, we can promote positive changes throughout the global supply chain and ensure a strong future for our industry.”

IULTCS explains the value of leather LCA study

 

The latest scientific newsletter released by IULTCS turns the spotlight on the LCA study conducted by Italian specialist company SPIN360, co-authored by Luis Zugno and Kim Sena, Secretary and Sustainability Committee Chair of IULTCS, respectively.

“The leather industry has long needed comprehensive and up-to-date studies on the environmental impact of leather production. Different studies have been published in the past, but mainly due to the lack of comprehensiveness failed to represent the entire leather segment” the authors explain. The new paper addresses these gaps by conducting an extensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) using modern methodologies and data from 56 studies across 16 facilities in 11 countries.

The study covers various types of leather, such as automotive, shoe, upholstery, and goods, providing a global perspective. Key findings highlight that the farming stage significantly impacts most environmental categories, and there’s a need for better data on raw materials and processing. On the other hand, some environmental impacts were lower than previously thought, providing some important insights.  “This research is crucial for leather manufacturers, as it identifies areas for improvement and highlights data gaps that, if addressed, could lead to more reliable and useful LCA results. The insights gained can guide the industry towards more environmentally friendly production methods, continuously positioning leather as a responsible material alternative for the future” Kim Sena concludes.

The paper can be downloaded HERE

 

CORICHEM presents SPECTRA, the crosslinker-free finishing

 We all know the importance of working in a safe and healthy space. Hazardous substances, such as heavy metals, dusts, gases, fumes, certain chemical agents, are among the main threats to the health of the worker and the surrounding environment. Prolonged or acute exposures to these substances can cause damage to the human body, particularly to the respiratory, nervous and cardiovascular systems. The most common occupational diseases related to these exposures include asthma, chronic lung disease, intoxication and, in extreme cases, cancer. Avoiding the presence of such substances is essential to ensure the safety of employees and the quality of the work environment.

Hazardous Substances in Tannery Finishing Departments

Turning our attention to the environment of the tannery, and in particular to the finishing department, the hazardous substances that can be encountered there are basically solvents, contained in various products, for which alternatives to water have been sought for years, and crosslinking agents, such as mainly polyazyridine and polyisocyanate. What can we do to make the working environment in finishing departments healthier and help preserve the environment around us?

Corichem answers this question with a very concrete solution: SPECTRA

What is SPECTRA?

SPECTRA is a technology that uses ultraviolet light to activate the crosslinking process without the use of catalysts or chemical crosslinking agents.

When special polyurethane polymers developed by Corichem are exposed to certain UV radiation, it induces a reaction that leads to the branching of polymer chains.

This process, which occurs almost instantaneously, even at room temperature, without the need for high heat or the use of solvents, also makes the finishing operation more environmentally friendly and sustainable than traditional methods.

 

SPECTRA in everyday practice

In everyday practice, SPECTRA translates into a brand new range of waterborne products, the result of in-house research that began more than two years ago.

The products in the SPECTRA range, which are currently under patenting, do not require the use of crosslinking agents, such as polyaziridine and polyisocyanate, and make it possible to obtain leathers with high performance in terms of mechanical strength while preserving their natural appearance and softness.

 

Benefits of SPECTRA

There are many advantages to be gained by adopting this technology:

– Increased Safety: the absence of hazardous crosslinking chemicals eliminates the risks associated with the handling, manipulation and use of toxic substances.

– Reduced Waste: the SPECTRA crosslinking process generates no product waste for disposal, helping to reduce environmental impact and production costs. Unused product, including that discharged from the application plant at the end of the working cycle, since it does not contain crosslinkers can safely be stored for a long time, waiting to be used at the next processing. Significant is the economic savings, particularly when handling highly fragmented productions.

– Speed and Efficiency: The SPECTRA curing process is extremely rapid, with curing times on the order of a few seconds. This speed allows the desired performance, in terms of physical strength, to be obtained immediately.

– Versatility: the SPECTRA process can be applied to a wide range of polyurethane formulations thus allowing all types of items to be produced.

– Plant Simplicity: introducing SPECTRA in the production process of a tannery is very simple and the usual plants already in use can be used after simple adaptations.

 

Conclusions

Avoiding the use of hazardous substances in the work environment is not only a matter of immediate safety, but a responsibility to workers’ health and environmental protection.

Investing in this not only reduces risks, but also helps build a stronger corporate culture geared toward collective well-being.

Ultimately, ensuring a safe working environment benefits everyone: employees, the company itself, and the environment in general.

 edited by Giuliano Spanevello, CORICHEM finishing department manager

 

New HIGG score does justice to bovine leather

The news is a few months old but worth remembering. In its latest update, the Higg MSI index, which measures the sustainability of materials, has adopted a new dataset for cowhide that virtually sees its environmental impact halved. This is thanks to an extensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study conducted by Italian specialist company SPIN360 in collaboration with Leather Working Group (LWG) and Leather Naturally. Thanks to this work, carried out on primary data derived from a large number of tanning productions surveyed, the impact of the Higg MSI cowhide has now been more than halved, guaranteeing the leather a much more favorable sustainability score. This is an achievement to be proud of and confirms the importance of continuing to produce scientific data to make the case for leather.
Specifically, the new leather scores reported by the HIgg MSI index, which, although contested by various organizations, is unique and is consulted by fashion designers worldwide, see the impact of cowhide as a whole reduced by 55/67 percent. Specifically, its Global Warming Potential (GWP) drops from 36.8 points to 14.6.
How was this result arrived at? Spin 360, responding to requests from Leather Working Group and Leather Naturally, collected data from 45 factories from 18 countries and analyzed 92 cowhide products (of all types: accessories, furniture and car interiors). It was on the basis of this wealth of information that the Milan-based agency produced the largest aggregate LCA (life cycle analysis) calculation of the material, which was then submitted for third-party verification. Submitted for Higg MSI’s attention, this work forced the index to revise its leather ratings in its latest update.