After three days of intensive meetings and industry exchange activities, the 17th China International Leather Exhibition was successfully concluded on September 5 (Friday).

The China International Footwear Exhibition, China International luggage, fur and leather clothing and clothing exhibition held at the same time as the China International Leather Exhibition injected more impetus into this Asian * type leather exhibition. More than 1300 exhibitors came from 38 countries and regions to welcome more than 23000 buyers.

The discussion atmosphere in the exhibition was warm. Topics included the international situation and environmental protection, and even the debate on environmental science. According to various parties, many factors are affecting the global leather industry, especially the Chinese market, including the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which led to the imposition of export ban on leather products by Russia to the United States and European countries, the shortage of raw materials in some countries, and the shutdown of some tanneries in China and other countries due to upgrading. Nevertheless, in view of the abundant resources in the leather industry, many exhibitors led by the chemical industry have come up with solutions, so the industry is still optimistic about the future.

Overall, the development of China's leather, fur, leather products and footwear industry in the first half of 2014 slowed down compared with the same period last year. China's leather industry is facing new environmental protection laws, which have led to the temporary shutdown of hundreds of tanneries in Hebei and other provinces. However, in the long run, the new legislation will help improve the sustainability of leather production and reduce the damage to the environment. Su Chaoying, President of the China Leather Association, said: "the upgrading and transformation have affected the number of leather produced in China this year, but we expect that after the transition period, when most tanneries resume production, the output will rise."

The case of Pakistan proves this point. The local government provides preferential treatment to tanneries to upgrade their facilities. One example is royal leather industries, which can now recycle the waste water through its own sewage treatment plant. Agha saiddain, marketing director of Royal leather industries, said that the company also produces chrome free leather, which has enabled the company to obtain the certification of IKEA products purchasing method (iWay) of IKEA, a furniture chain.

The role of chemical enterprises is becoming more and more important

International chemical enterprises have been strictly abiding by laws and regulations for many years. The newly implemented environmental protection laws are more stringent, which enables enterprises to raise the product level above the required standards. Some enterprises not only produce less toxic products, but also seek better solutions, including reducing the use of energy and improving the durability of leather.

Lambertii launched novafree, a 100% solvent-free water-soluble product, at the China International Leather Exhibition. Giorgio pagoncelli, its marketing director, said: "adhering to environmental protection standards is one of the important driving forces to promote the development of the chemical leather industry."

The challenge for chemical enterprises is to develop new environmental protection technology, which can improve the quality of leather without affecting the quality of leather. Take stahlite, a new product of Stahl, as an example. It can reduce the weight of the finished leather while maintaining the overall thickness of the leather. Stahlite can reduce the weight by 15% to 35%, depending on the type of leather.

Under the current economic austerity, light, soft, bright processing, rich colors and textures are the general trends that can be seen at the exhibition, which bring inspiration to our daily life. Rick Bentley, director of Sappi, said: "we work closely with designers to understand the future trends, and China International Leather Exhibition is the most suitable place to test which are most popular with customers." Sappi * launched a series of release papers, including metal, concrete, stone, soil and various twill fabrics; The * designs made by henanprospect for sheepskin and green leather include porcelain patterns, such as blue and white lotus, camouflage, leopard print, etc.