Scope for setting up UK tanneries, says head of Leather Federation
Dr Kerry Senior, head of the UK Leather Federation, believes there is scope for establishing several new tanneries in the UK if investors could found.
“Obviously, the cost of production in the UK is higher than in places like China and India and, as a consequence, UK tanners service the top end of the market,” he told World Leather. “However, the bulk of our bovine raw material goes to Italy, also producers of quality leather, and it makes more sense, to me anyway, for those hides to be processed in the UK and the leather sold to the same markets as the Italians.
“In 2013, 55% of UK raw bovine exports went to European destinations; if it can be cost-effectively processed there, why not do it here?”
There are 23 tanneries operating in the UK, a number that has been stable for the last few years, barring one closure. The industry exported £168.2 million of wet blue, crust and finished leather last year, 7.7% more than in 2013. However, it imported a similar amount: £162.2 million, an increase of 7.9%.
