SME Times News Bureau | 20 Feb, 2012
There is an opportunity for Indian leather goods export community to bag some additional orders from Europe and the US as China, a major exporter, is struggling following rise in production costs and labour problems, an export council official said Saturday.

"Cost of production (of leather goods) has gone up in China and there are labour problems," Council for Leather Exports chairman (east) Paresh Rajda told reporters on the sidelines of the inauguration of the 17th edition of the International Leather Goods Fair (ILGF) in Kolkata.

With China struggling, there was opportunity for India to bag some additionl orders from large importers like Europe and the US, Rajda said.

He said the country was looking to tap new markets like Japan and Australia.

India's leather goods exporters are eyeing new export markets following economic stagnation in Europe and weak demand from the US.

CLE and Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) are currently also looking for venturing into other potential export markets like Africa, Brazil and Commonwealth of Independent States (erstwhile Soviet Union), besides Japan and Australia.

India presently accounts for about three percent of the global leather trade in comparison to China's estimated 22 percent.

ILGF, an annual event jointly organised by ITPO, CLE and West Bengal government and also supported by Indian Leather Products Association (ILPA), is taking place at the city's 'Milan Mela' complex Feb 18-20.