Table VI: Leather: Output by Type and Economic Zone

Notes to Table VI

In a reversal of its long-term decline, which has been apparent for a number of years, global output of heavy leather increased in the late nineties in line with an increase of about 13 percent in leather shoes production. The principal producing region is the Far East where production expanded considerably, particularly in China, which has become the largest producer of leather shoes. Output of heavy leather continued to decline in developed regions as the major developed countries reduced heavy leather tanning in the period under review.

The sustained expansion of tanning capacity in developing countries is reflected in the growth in output of light bovine leather. While world production rose by 23 percent, developing countries increased their output by 82 percent, lifting their share in tanning of this type of leather to over 59 percent. The fastest rate of growth took place in the Far East. Developed regions overall reduced tanning of light bovine leather.

Global output of sheep and goat leather expanded by 32 percent. As with bovine light leather, output of sheep and goat leather in developing countries expanded markedly and their share in total output grew from 46 to about 72 percent in the period under review. The strongest gains in percentage terms occurred in the Far East, which continued to dominate production of sheep and goat leather. Tanning of sheep and goat skins declined in the developed countries.