The Brazilian leather sector entered 2014 exporting a total of US$ 200 million. According to the Department of Intelligence of the Centre for the Brazilian Tanning Industries (CICB), and with preliminary data from the Department of Foreign Trade – Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (MDIC), the value registered in January represents an increase of 21,3% in comparison to the same month the previous year.

José Fernando Bello, executive president of CICB, predicts a 2014 with both challenges and expectations for the Brazilian leather sector. After all, since January 1^st Brazil is out of the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP), which may lead to a monetary loss of 3,5% – the exclusion had already worked against Brazilian exporters in the end of 2013. According to Bello, the new reality has already brought reductions in orders from European clients, admittedly the major buyers of Brazilian leather.

In order to overcome such challenges and improve the participation of Brazilian leather in the international market, a series of actions are being taken by CICB to promote exports. In the first trimester, there is the Brazilian participation at Le Cuir A Paris, the most respected luxury event within the sector, at Fimec, with journalists being invited by the Imagem project, and also APLF MM&T in Hong Kong, which brings great expectations. In this year’s edition, between March 31^st and April^2nd, Brazil will be the Focus Country, therefore promoting a series of communications and marketing actions at an event that gathers more than 20 thousand leather buyers each year.

With such actions, and counting on the global leather demand – which keeps on growing –, Bello foresees the possibility of an increase of around 8 to 10% in Brazilian exports for the year of 2014, specially regarding leather of high added value.