Vietnam mulls leather testing
Reports from Vietnam suggest Lefaso, the country’s leather and footwear association, is looking to introduce quality testing for imported leather.
Its secretary, Phan Thi Thanh Xuan, said about 150,000 tonnes of leather is imported into the country annually by the footwear industry but there are only a small number of leather testing centres. "As a result, footwear firms have to test their materials and products themselves to meet importers' requirements.”
Many send samples overseas to test, she said, adding to the costs.
A government official agreed that a set of controls imposed by Vietnam was needed to better control imported materials and products to the country, particularly in light of the potential growth which might be afforded by new trade agreements.
