(CN) Leather exposition promotes industry

[Guest guest]

China Daily http://www1.chinadaily.com.cn/

(HU YUEMING)

10/01/2001

 

HANGZHOU: The 2001 China Leather Exposition is under way in Haining of East

China's Zhejiang Province.

Domestic and overseas leather enterprises and dealers almost fully booked

the booths of the exhibition, which started yesterday and runs through

October 3.

 

" We hope the exposition will further promote the development of the leather

industry of Haining and the country as a whole, " said Mayor Zhao Shumei.

 

Sources with the organization committee of the exhibition indicate that

seminars on the trend of international leather garment markets and the

latest leather processing technology of the world will be staged during the

event.

 

Experts and entrepreneurs from Italy and Finland will give lectures to their

counterparts in China at the seminars.

 

" With regard to China's impending entry to the World Trade Organization, we

hope the seminars will help domestic enterprises gain a better understanding

of international leather markets, " said Zhao.

 

Leading the whole country in leather garment production and exports over the

past decade, Haining has been known as " the Leather Capital of China " for

years.

 

Haining has now more than 5,600 leather enterprises mainly producing leather

garments and accessories.

 

Last year, the industrial output of its leather industry reached 9 billion

yuan (US$108.4 million), putting it ahead of the rest of the country.

 

And its trade volume of fur and leather amounted to 1 million pieces last

year.

 

Covering a floor area of 160,000 square metres, the trade volume of the

Haining-based China Leather Mall reached 4.2 billion yuan (US$506.2 million)

last year.

 

" In a bid to improve the efficiency of the leather industry, we will carry

out a strategy of quality and branding in the coming years " , said Zhao.

 

As part of the strategy, the Leather Technological and Industrial Park is

now under construction.

 

The park is designed to become an information and technology centre as well

as a leather production base in the country.

 

" We are confident about the future of the leather industry in our city and

the country as a whole after our entry into WTO " , Zhao said.