Leather sector shows healthy signs after 9/11

KARACHI - After a period of sluggish leather requirements in local and international markets, the leather industry is now moving towards betterment. According to a tanner, manufacturer and exporter Sheikh Muhammad Iqbal, the industry has been facing crisis since 9/11 incident that disrupted Pakistani leather export in the international markets and the traders had to bear losses. Only around fifty to sixty factories out of four hundred are running because of multiple crises but now the industry is moving towards the betterment, he added. The hides take three days in the roller, filled with different chemicals to come in raw forms and the quality of leather is based on the hide type. The hides of goats are usually come in low quality standard than the hides of the cow. Different forms of leather are used in different products while the high quality leather is being exported. Chemical was one of many factors in declining the demand of leather-made products but now these chemicals are not being used as they proved to be injurious for health, he further added. While answering the question regarding the waste material dump, Sheikh Iqbal said that the government is not providing garbage dumps facilities in the area and they have to collect it on their own basis. He said that the raw material is also being imported from European countries that used in making the products. He said earlier traders received orders across the world throughout the year but now they received few orders because of crisis.