According to the Daily Economic Times of New Delhi, Nike and Rebook are reported to be the latest companies to join the boycott of leather exports from India. A Peru-based company, Foresta International, is also said to have enforced a ban on leathergoods from India. The companies are said to have decided to ban Indian leathergoods after reviewing documentation provided by People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
However, the story from the Daily Times of India, New Delhi, is somewhat different. Both Nike and Reebok are reported as saying that they have never sourced leather or leather products from India for their international operations. An official Reebok spokesperson is reported as saying: ‘We import all leather footwear and accessories into India. There are no exports whatsoever. There is no sourcing of leather from India.’ The story is reported to be the same for Nike.
In response, PETA claims: ‘Every one of these companies has pledged to PETA that it will no longer purchase leather from India. These boycotts come at a time when the Indian leather industry is trying to open new markets in Peru and other Latin American countries.’
PETA India are said to be ‘not really sure’ whether these companies had actually been sourcing leather from India. Anuradha Sawhney, PETA India, said: ‘The key here is that these companies have pledged not to source from India in the future.’
