Despite record Brazilian leather export levels in 2007, production is likely to fall by between 5% and 10% in 2008 according to the Centre for the Brazilian Tanning Industry (CICB). This is expected to have serious repercussions for the footwear and chemicals industry.

Managing director of CICB, Luiz Augusto Bittencourt, said: “the world wants more leather but as people are eating less beef, raw material availability will inevitably keep falling.”

Fábio Bellotti da Fonseca, manager of the leather business unit at Lanxess in Brazil points out that: “Footwear production has dropped from 348 million pairs to 206 million pairs in the last two years." Production is set to fall further as a result of the raw material shortage.

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