CNC is the Conseil National du Cuir (the Leather National Council), the French confederation that gathers and represents, in France, “9,400 companies and 130,000 workers, currently employed in the industry of leather, tanning, footwear, leather goods, gloves manufacturing and supply”. The whole business or so. In the past days they made public a report over the economic situation of the industry in the first six months of 2018. Joining together figures about tanned products, shoes and bags, exports increased by 8% overall. More specifically, in the first six-month period the turnover of the leather business went up by 2.5%, though exports declined, therefore decreasing by 1% in terms of value. Focusing on manufacturing, goats augmented (+4.6%), whereas the remaining production did slow down (bovines -2.1%, calves -5.9%, sheep -3.1%). Conversely, leather goods enjoyed a considerable boost, as revenues of French manufacturers of accessories increased by 5.7%. As for exports, they reached 3.5 billion euros, that is, +8%. For the records, sales of leather watchbands have been booming, as they increased by 27% compared to 2017 first six-month period. Footwear exports have been achieving a slightly better performance: incomes reached 1.7 billion euros, therefore increasing by 9% on annual basis. Yet, in contrast, footwear manufacturing has been remarkably dropping (-9.6%). Let’s move on to raw hides and skins, to wrap up. Exports of “cuirs et peaux bruts” boosted by 5%. Moving back to leather goods, CNC points out that “in the business exports of bags have decreased in terms of volumes, but price has raised”, from 447 up to 499 euros, therefore increasing by 12%. Pictures are taken from conseilnationalducuir.org.
France’s leather business: in the first six months total exports increased by 8%. Footwear going slightly better than bags, leather declining
