São Paulo – Hides and skins exports from Brazil grossed US$ 2.947 billion in 2014, up 17.4% from 2013. The figures are from the Foreign Trade Secretariat of the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade and have been released this Tuesday (6th) by the Confederation of Brazilian Hides and Skins Industries (CICB).
In December alone, hides and skins exports fetched US$ 254 million, up 5.8% from December 2013. According to a statement from CICB, CEO José Fernando Bello has given a positive assessment of exports in 2014.
According to the statement, the executive underscores the hard work done in areas such as quality, sustainability, image promotion and technology as being key to the results obtained in 2014.
“It was a good year, figure-wise, and the value of leather as a superior raw material was recognized worldwide. We believe the progress seen in 2014 is connected to the entire industry’s work on earning Brazilian leather due recognition, through innovation, knowledge and investment. The benefits can potentially be reaped by the industry for years to come,” the CICB’s CEO said in the press release.
The organization believes that even as 2015 begins, the Brazilian hides and skins industry is facing major challenges and is expecting to see results in line with those of the past year.
According to the CICB website, major target markets for export promotion actions include Germany, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, United States, India, Italy, Mexico, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
