Turkey’s leather industry achieved export revenues of US$585 million in the first four months of 2019, showing signs of a small increase compared to recent years. In 2016, 2017 and 2018, the sector’s total export revenues were between US$1.5 billion and US$1.6 billion per year. Annualised, the figures for the first four months of 2019 suggest the total this year could be between US$1.7 billion and US$1.8 billion. In the January-April 2019 period, footwear contributed export earnings of US$390 million, two-thirds of the total. Leathergoods’ share was US$77 million, while exports of semi-finished and finished leather brought in US$72 million. Exports of garments made from sheep nappa and lamb double-face leather earned revenues of US$46 million. Russia was the biggest importer of these materials and finished products, spending $93 million over the four-month period, more than 15% of the total and more than double Italy’s spend of US$45 million and Germany’s of US$42 million. Iraq was the fourth-biggest export market for Turkish leather over the period, with shipments worth US$32 million going there. The UK was fifth with US$22 million and Romania sixth with US$21 million.
Source – APLF.
