The Russians need the Italian leather sector and Italian tanners need to strengthen trade relations with Moscow. And so the former plan to invest in Italian technology and expertise to support the path of growth of the Russian leather industry. Manufacturing in Moscow, meanwhile, focuses on hides produced by Italian tanneries for high-end footwear lines and Italians, in turn, are counting on being able get back to procuring freely on the rouble market. It is a prominent delegation that has departed from the Russian Federation to Fieramilano Rho, to visit Lineapelle. With Denis Pak, director of the Ministry for Industry and Commerce (pictured), also making their entrance to Lineapelle yesterday were Igor Surin and Aleksandra Grigorievna, president and director of the Russian association of tanners and shoemakers respectively. First the good news. From the meeting with top UNIC management, it emerges that Moscow, which has already lowered the duty on exports of raw hides from 500 to 400 dollars per tonne, has short-term plans to bring the tax down to 300, in a gradual process of liberalisation of trade which will see further falls of the tax. Then, the bad news: the Kremlin has no intention of reviewing the ban on exports of wet blue. The embargo will only be lifted when the restocking program for national livestock implemented by the Moscow Ministry of Agriculture has been completed. The deadline is, however, not known. (rp)
Russia visiting Lineapelle: from Moscow openness to dialogue, but closure as regards wet blue
