China filed a complaint against European Union shoe tariffs at the World Trade Organization as Beijing continued its legal assault on what it says is unfair Western protectionism. Europe has grown increasingly concerned about China's balance of trade and what some critics view as its artificially weak currency.

Three Year 3 BA Fashion pathway students from The University of Northampton have received £1000 ($1600) of leathercraft bursaries from The Worshipful Company of Curriers.
Garry James Butterfield, BA Fashion was presented with £500 ($800) with Robyn Hedley, BA Fashion and Alex Newton, BA Fashion (Textiles for Fashion) receiving £250 ($400) each to go towards their final year collections.

The Chinese ministry of Industry and Information Technology introduced, at the end of 2009, an important policy guidance document known as ‘Guiding Options of Tanning Industry Structural Adjustment’ or Guiding Options for short. This forms part of the national governments ‘Light industry adjustment and revitalisation plan’.

DyStar’s new owner, Kiri Holding Singapore Private Limited, have appointed Manish Kiri as DyStar’s new president and chief executive officer. Effective February 4, 2010 Manish Kiri will replace J Mark Allan.

Operations at DyStar Textilfarben GmbH and DyStar Textilfarben GmbH & Co. KG at the four German DyStar sites in Brunsbüttel, Leverkusen, Frankfurt am Main and Ludwigshafen are now set to restart under the new management of Kiri Dyes & Chemicals Ltd. (KDCL). The deal does not include DyStar’s leather chemical activities or the manufacturing site at Gerestried.

Since the American Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) introduced the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) in August 2008, there have been a number of changes to the limits of lead allowed in certain products, and to the testing required in order to show compliance.

The second day of the India International Leather Fair (IILF) held in Chennai, India was just as busy as the first day on February 2. Crowds flocked to a hot and sultry Chennai Trade Centre to visit companies supplying the tanning and finished leather products industries.

Stahl have recently issued a new style fashion booklet ‘Leather Preview Spring-Summer 2011’. Working in close collaboration with the company’s new fashion consultants, Bianco & White, this new presentation follows a similar innovative style to that of the recent ‘Colour Forecast’ booklet. Crisp clean images combine with an impressive selection of real leather samples to present the latest global trends in leather finishing in a way which will inspire and encourage the reader towards the creation of new ideas in leather.

The stands were busy on the first working day of the India International Leather Fair (IILF) in Chennai, India on February 1. The show which is approximately 10% bigger by area this year underlines India as a major global market for the leather and leather products industries.

The latest edition of leather chemical maker TFL part 2 of their ECO Guidelines has been published in order to enhance the understanding of ecological aspects in leather manufacturing.

The German Leather Federation (Verband der Deutschen Lederindustrie) along with the VDMA, hosted a group of eighteen companies at the India International Leather Fair (IILF) this year. The IILF takes place in Chennai, India January 31 - February 3 and is seen as one of the fastest growing markets for the leather and leather products indusries.

The 25th edition of the India International Leather Fair (IILF), got underway on January 31 after being officially opened by the Indian minister of textiles, Dayanidhi Maran at the Chennai Trade Centre, Nandambakkam, Chennai. He told invited guests and visitors that the leather sector was vital to India’s economy especially in terms of export performance. ‘The government will continue to support the leather industry but the sector has to stand and walk on its own without subsidies’, he said.

More than 350 invited guests of the China based German leather producer ISA Tan Tec attended the opening of its new tannery in Vietnam on January 22. ISA Tan Tec are aiming to provide a new standard for sustainability in leather making combining environmental and socially responsible leather production. ‘It is surprising to see solutions for so many challenging issues put into action by the company’, said Tran Van Lieu head of Binh Duong Industrial and Export Processing Zones Authority (BDIZA), Vietnam.