Trade in hides, skins, leather and leather manufactures has undergone significant changes during the past two decades, and consequently commodity trade patterns have changed. In particular, an increasing proportion of trade is now in the form of wet-blue, crust and ready to finish leathers.
Despite the significance in volume and value terms of international trade in these items, they are not identified separately in the existing international trade classifications. These tanned hide and skins are typically arbitrarily classified in trade statistics either as raw hides and skins, or as finished leather, whereas they are, in fact, neither of these.
As a result, amendments to the International Trade Classification will be implemented from January 1, 2002. They are based on work by Cotance, endorsed by the FAO sub group on hides and skins and approved by the World Customs Organization.
The existing system:
41.01: Raw bovine hides and skins, limed or pickled but not tanned
41.02: Raw sheep and lamb, limed or pickled but not tanned
41.03: Other raw hides and skins (includes goat, reptiles)
41.04: Bovine leather
41.05: Sheep and lamb leather
41.06: Goat and kid leather
41.07: Leather of other animals
41.08: Chamois leather
41.09: Patent leather, patent laminated and metallised leather
41.10: Parings and waste
41.11: Composition leather
The new system:
41.01: Raw hides and skins of bovine (including buffalo) or equine animals (fresh, or salted, dried limed pickled or otherwise preserved, but not tanned, parchment dressed or further prepared) whether or not dehaired or split.
4101.20 – whole hides and skins of a weight per skins not exceeding 8kg when simply dried, 10kg when dry salted, or 16kg when fresh, wet salted or otherwise preserved. (The present weight criterion has been amended to increase the maximum weight from 14kg to 16kg of whole hides and skins, fresh, wet salted, or otherwise simply dried or dry salted)
4101.50 – Whole hides and skins, of weight exceeding 16kg
4101.90 – Other, including butts bends and bellies
41.02: Raw skins of sheep or lambs (fresh, or salted, dried, limed, pickled or otherwise preserved, but not tanned, parchment-dressed or further prepared), whether or not with wool on or split.
These raw skins may be fresh (green) or temporarily preserved by salting, drying, liming, pickling or any other method to prevent putrefaction in the short term. They may also be cleaned, split or scraped, or may have undergone a tanning (including pre-tanning) process which is irreversible, but not subject to any other tanning or equivalent process (such as parchment-dressing) nor further prepared
4102.10 – With wool on
– Without wool on
4102.21 Pickled
4102.29 Other
41.03: Other raw hides and skins
4103.10 – Of goats or kids
4103.20 – Of reptiles
4103.03 – Of swine
4103.90 – Other
41.04: Tanned or crust bovine hides and skins (including buffalo) or equine animals without hair on, whether or not split, but not further prepared.
4104.11 – Full grains, unsplit; grains split – in the wet state including wet-blue
4104.19 – Other – in the wet state including wet-blue
4104.41 – Full grains, unsplit; grains split – in the dry state crust:
4104.49 – Other – in the dry state (crust)
41.05: Tanned or crust skins of sheep and lamb skins, without wool on whether or not split, but not further prepared
4105.10 – In the wet state including wet-blue
4105.30 – In the dry state (crust)
This heading covers the skins of sheep or lambs including those of crossed sheep and goats.
41.06: Tanned or crust hides and skins of other animal, without wool or hair on, whether or not split, but not further prepared.
4106.21 – Of goats or kids in the wet state including wet-blue
4106.22 – Of goats or kids in the dry state including crust
4106.31 – Of swine in the wet state including wet-blue
4106.32 – Of swine in the dry state including crust
4106.40 – Of reptiles
4106.91 – Of other animals in the wet state including wet-blue
4106.92 – Of other animals in the dry state including crust
41.07: Leather further prepared after tanning or crusting, including parchment-dressed, leather of bovine (including buffalo) or equine animals, without hair on, whether or not split, other than leather of heading 41.14.
4107.11 – Whole hides and skins full grains, unsplit
4107.12 – Whole hides and skins grains, split
4107.19 – Whole hides and skins other
4107.91 – Other including sides: full grains, unsplit
4107.92 – Other including sides: grains, split
4107.99 – Other
(41.08 Chamois (including combination chamois) leather is now included in chapter 4114.10)
41.09 Patent leather and patent laminated leather; metallised leather are now included in Chapter 4114.20)
41.10 Parings and other waste of leather and leather composition leather, not suitable for the manufacture of leather article; leather dust, powder and flour are now included in 4115.20)
41.11: Composition leather with a basis of leather or leather fibre, in slabs, sheets or strips, whether or not in rolls; are now included in 4115.10
41.12: Leather further prepared after tanning or crusting, including parchment dressed, leather of sheep or lamb, without wool on, whether or not split, other than leather of heading 41.14.
41.13: Leather further prepared after tanning or crusting, including parchment dressed, leather of other animals, without wool or hair on, whether or not split, other than leather of heading 41.14.
4113.10 – Of goats or kid
4113.20 – Of swine
4113.30 – Of reptiles
4113.90 – Of others
41.14 Chamois (including combination chamois) leather: patent leather and patent laminated leather; metallised leather
4114.10 – Chamois (including combination chamois) leather
4114.20 – patent leather and patent laminated leather; metallised leather
41.15: Composition leather with a basis of leather or leather fibre, in slabs, sheets or strips, whether or not in rolls; parings and other waste of leather or of composition leather, not suitable for manufacture of leather article; leather dust, powder and flour.
4115.10 – Composition leather with a basis of leather or leather fibre, in slabs, sheets or strips, whether or not in rolls;
4115.20 – Parings and other waste of leather or of composition leather, not suitable for manufacture of leather article; leather dust, powder and flour.
