The Hindu Business Line : Eastern region leather exports up 6.3 pc

EASTERN region leather exporters closed 2003-04 with exports estimated at Rs 1,529.7 crore, thus clocking a 6.3 per cent growth over the previous year.

Available statistics showed that barring the segment of industrial leather manufactures, exporters from the eastern region scored gains in all the product segments.

Trailing the 46 per cent share commanded by the southern region, the eastern region has the single largest share in leather exports. However, its 16 per cent share in the export market is closely followed by the West and the North, which have a 13 per cent share each.

The product segments where positive growth rates were recorded included finished leather, leather goods, leather garments, leather footwear, leather footwear components, leather gloves, non-leather footwear and saddlery and harness. Industry sources said that while traditionally the eastern region (mainly West Bengal) had been specialising in leather goods items such as bags, wallets and gloves, it has now started marking its presence in other segments too.

During the year under review, exporters from this region succeeded in large measure in increasing exports of footwear, which was one of the main drivers of leather export growth during 2003-04. Eastern region with exports of only Rs 9 crore had a minor share in the all-India leather footwear exports, but this performance by eastern region exporters represented a 51 per cent growth over 2002-03. It may be mentioned that leather is among the top eight export earners for the country, providing employment to nearly 25 lakh people.

Even as the city's tanners go through a churn on account of issues revolving around the relocation to the Kolkata Leather Complex, eastern region exported Rs 183.6 crore worth of finished leather, which was 12.5 per cent higher than the Rs 163.2-crore exported in 2002-03. Major importing countries were Hong Kong and Italy.

Double-digit growth rates were also recorded in non-leather footwear, footwear components and saddlery and harness. The growth in this category is 100 per cent.

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