Chennai Leather Market - March 2019

CHENNAI  LEATHER MARKET

V M Khaleelur Rahman

Chennai leather market continues with limited transactions in tanned goat skins. Routine business is taking place in higher grades but big business is absent. As usual some big exporters of leather and leather products are in the market buying 5/7 sq. ft. Run at around Rs.100 per sq. ft. There is also a report of goat lots sold at around Rs.45 and 50 per sq. ft. depending on quality and selection to local traders.

Tanned goat skins 4/6 sq. ft. Suede is sold at around Rs.39, 4/6 sq. ft. Lining at around Rs.34 and 5/7 sq. ft. Lining at around Rs.38 per sq. ft. respectively whereas local Rejection and Langda are sold at around Rs.12 and 9 per sq. ft.

Prices of raw goat skins are erratic but generally speaking sold at around Rs.30 per piece but good quality and selection skins fetch higher prices.

Export Contracts

Leading exporters have sold S/C goat upper and lining leathers at around US$2.35 and 1.75 per sq. ft. respectively and S/C suede leather at around US$1.90 per sq. but business continues to be slow. There is no report of any business with Japanese customers.

Quotations of Tanners

E.I. Tanned Goat Skins

Grain Selection:

4/6 sq. ft. Run Rs.95, V/IF/LIF Rs.75, Lot Rs.50

Suede Selection:

4/6 sq. ft. Rs.40

Lining Selection:

4/6 sq. ft. Rs.35 and 5/8 sq. ft. Rs.39

Quotations of Exporters

F/C sheep leather

4/6 sq. ft. All Suede JY 180, LIF Suede JY 145 and Rejection Suede JY 90

5/7 sq. ft. All Suede JY 190, LIF Suede JY 155 and Rejection Suede JY 100

                              S/C OR F/C GOAT LEATHER

Material	Size/sq. ft.	Substance	Selection	Price US$ per sq. ft. C&F
Goat upper leather	4/7	0.6/0.8 mm	ABC	2.35
Goat milled leather	4/7	0.6/0.8 mm	TR-1	1.75
Goat suede leather	4/7	0.6/0.8 mm	All Suede	1.95
Goat lining leather	4/7	0.5/0.7 mm	TR-1/2/3	1.75/1.65/1.55
Goat lining leather	5/8	0.6/0.8 mm	TR-1/2/3	1.80/1.70/1.60

                                    F/C SHEEP LEATHER

Material	Size/sq. ft.	Substance	Selection	Price US$ per sq. ft. C&F
Sheep cabretta leather	4/7	0.6/0.8	ABC	2.10
Sheep cabretta leather	6/9	0.8/1.0	ABC	2.25
Sheep lining leather	4/7 5/8	0.5/0.7 0.6/0.8	TR-1 TR-1	1.75 1.85

Shoe Business

Shoe factories situated in places like Ambur are endeavouring their best to fetch export orders from different countries in order to keep their factories running. Quite a large number of people particularly women are employed in these units. It is said that in Ambur alone about 20,000 people are working. In the present difficult period it is the shoe units which give a sort of hope and confidence to the people engaged in the leather industry. The whole glamour of the leather industry is in the shoe business.

The International footwear show Micam held at Milano from 10^th to 13^th February 2019 was highly successful, perhaps more than expected, with more visitors particularly from USA and Canada. This has encouraged the shoe manufacturers the world over. It is hoped that in the days to come Indian shoe manufacturers can expect good volume of business from these two countries which are well known for big contracts.

(Writer’s e-mail id: vmk1234@yahoo.com)