Last year’s Shanghai events - All China Leather Exhibition (ACLE), China International Footwear Fair (CIFF) and Moda Shanghai set new records with 1424 exhibitors and 24,233 visitors to continue the sustained growth of these events since their launch in 1998.

The 2014 events due to be held concurrently from 3 - 5 September in the New International Expo Centre in Pudong, Shanghai, are on track to emulate these impressive figures. The gross exhibition area will be 80,500 square metres for ACLE and 11,500 for CIFF and Moda Shanghai.

As of March this year 80% of the exhibition space at the Shanghai events has been sold and there will be 19 group pavilions present at the September events. The continued growth of the China leather sector will continue to attract both more domestic and international exhibitors.

Such growth is evidenced in the report on the 2013 results by the Chairman of the joint organisers of ACLE, CIFF and Moda Shanghai, the China Leather Industry Association (CLIA), Mr Su Chaoying. Mr Su reports that sales revenue from China’s leather sector grew by 10.6% and only slowed by 0.4% when compared to 2012. Exports in the last year totalled US$82.9 billion and increased by 9% year-on-year whereas the growth rate declined by only 0.8%. Imports reached US$8.47 billion, up 8.5% and the growth rate increased by 2.7%.

These huge overall figures for China’s leather sector can also be seen in the number of leather shoes manufactured in China in 2013 – they totalled 4.9 billion pairs (the combined population of the European Union, the USA and Canada is less than one billion inhabitants!) and China actually exported 10.6 billion pairs of shoes of all kinds.

Imports of supplies and products reaching US$8.47 billion by China’s leather sector and the manufacturing of 4.9 billion pairs of leather shoes by over 2,400 footwear factories are where export opportunities lie for companies from all over the world. The All China Leather Exhibition (ACLE) is the premier platform from where to contact the key decision makers who specify and order these products, manufacturing materials and components.

Report from CLIA

Mr Su also reported on the All China Leather Exhibition, China International Footwear Fair (CIFF) and Moda Shanghai 2014. Occupying 8 halls, this year the total area will be 92,000 square meters, among them, 55,000 square metres for domestic exhibitors.

The Domestic exhibitors come mostly from leather, shoes, luggage, garments and fur sectors, among which leather and synthetic material enterprises are the most enthusiastic participants. Many renowned tanneries and chemical companies as well as companies from industrial clusters have confirmed their presence at the fair.

CIFF 2014 is located in Hall E4 this year with a continued emphasis on overseas and local markets to strengthen trade relations, heighten brand integration and highlight upcoming trends. Many domestic brands such as Kangnai, Aokang and Xinhuwei, as well as plenty of medium and small manufacturers of children shoes, snow boots, safety shoes and outdoor footwear have joined or expressed their interests in the fair.

CLIA will continue to promote the fair extensively among domestic and overseas markets through multiple channels this year, including:

- Strengthen promotion to wholesalers, distributors, importers and retailers- Strengthen the connection with major department stores, outlets and supermarkets in second and third tier cities.

- Fair promotion among major industry clusters and targeted markets to attract more exhibitors and visitors.

Once again, the CLIA’s 7th National Conference and the 8th International Leather Forum 2014 will take place during the fair. “Fashion Corridor of Products with Genuine Leather Mark” and “Chinese Shoes Culture” which received good feedback last year, will return this year. Outstanding brands with Genuine Leather Mark will also host a product display and fashion shows to showcase their signature exhibits. The “D-together” display zone will also return to showcase creative pieces from winners of the shoe competition. Last but not least, the Spring/Summer 2015-2016 Colour trends of Leather Materials will be revealed concurrently.

Conclusion

Even though there are reports indicating that China’s GDP growth may slow to 7.5% or slightly lower this is due to prudent reforms by the Li Keqiang government to rein in the excesses of shadow banking sector and ballooning local government debt to stop the economy overheating.

ACLE will be held at an opportune moment when the European leather sector returns from its annual vacation. Buyers will be on hand to assess how the supply of raw materials has developed during the fair. With over 1,200 exhibitors at ACLE they are sure to be able to find new customers and make fresh contacts at China’s leading business platform serving the domestic and international leather industry since 1998.