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Trading in leather improves

K. Asdullah Basha

TRADING in all kinds of leather improved last week and the indication for this week is that the market conditions could improve in view of overall demand for all kinds of articles from big buying houses. As such, the demand for wet blue hides, skins and E.I. tanned leather is increasing constantly.

Leading exporters of leather and footwear besides garment manufacturers based in the south and Kanpur have begun buying huge quantities of wet blue leather from the Kolkata market.

The Bologna fair concluded last week and it has brought cheers to the leading footwear and product manufacturers. Mr Rafeeque Ahmed, the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Southern Regional Chairman who is also Farida Group of companies Cha irman, said qualith products were in demand. As such, there was good demand for Indian products but there was price restriction.

Echoing the same view, a leading Spanish buyer, Mr M.Sans, who has been buying from the country during the last 25 years said:``The main problem has been theprice. During the last couple of months, a very big price increased taken place. Also the dollar exchange is high, about 190 points a dollar. For the majority of the customers, it is difficult to accept that an increase of 30-35 per cent has to be accepted. They say at these prices, the will use textiles, pig leather, unlined shoes or any other solu tion.''

While exporters quote 90-95 cents for goat lining, the buyers are willing to offer only 70-75 cents. Except for some leading marks, who have been able to fetch 90 cents for their linings, a majority of the exporters booked volume orders for goat lining at 75-85 cents for countries such as Italy, Spain, Hong Kong and Portugal. Some leading exporters have sold goat suede at $1.80-1.90 for Germany and Spain. Top quality pure aniline glazed kid have been sold between $1.90-2.10 and middle range between $1. 40-1.60.

Demand for sheep caberetta continued at the existing price level of $1.90-21.0 for top selections, while the business in nappa has not improve much. Different articles from imported cow and cow calf leather, buffalo hide and buffalo calf leather were als o in demand, besides domestic hides and calves.

While there has been a rise in import of raw and wet blue goat and sheep skins from West Asia and South Africa, Pakistan is going all out in purchasing wet blue skins from these countries and are giving tough competition even for Italians.

In the domestic centres, no considerable change in the prices of hikes and skins were reported