Data released by the China Leather Industry Association shows that in the first half of 2026, revenue in China's leather and leather products industry fell 5% year-on-year to RMB 330 billion; exports during the same period fell 5.4% year-on-year to EUR 35 billion; imports rose 4.9% year-on-year to EUR 6.8 billion.
According to an economic analysis report released ahead of the All China Leather Exhibition (ACLE), after years of a development model focused on output and exports, the industry's focus is shifting toward the domestic market and added product value.
Beneath the overall revenue decline, performance across segments varied markedly.
- The tanning segment posted revenue of EUR 2.7 billion, the steepest decline at 12.8% year-on-year; only the raw hide trading segment showed a positive signal.
- Leather footwear output fell 7.6% to 970 million pairs; leather footwear exports fell 8.7% year-on-year to EUR 2.8 billion, roughly in line with the 8.6% decline for footwear overall.
- The leather bags and travel goods segment also fell into negative growth, down 5.3% year-on-year; leather apparel was the only segment to achieve positive growth during the period, up 25%, with revenue approaching EUR 400 million.
China Leather Industry Association data also shows that in the first half of 2026, China's imports of raw leather materials increased, while imports of finished and semi-finished leather contracted significantly.
From January to June 2026, China's raw hide imports rose 7% year-on-year to 749,000 tonnes, with total import value up 2.9% year-on-year to USD 600 million. In contrast, imports of semi-finished leather such as wet-blue and crust leather fell 5.9% to 295,000 tonnes; import value declined even more sharply, down 14.8% to USD 400 million. Finished leather imports also declined: import volume fell 2.2% to 18,000 tonnes, with total import value of USD 270 million.
In mid-2026, the organizers of the Asia Pacific Leather Fair (APLF) released a report on the Chinese market that, while affirming the industry's strong resilience in 2025, took an optimistic view of the 2026 market outlook.
｜Source: laconceria, China Leather Industry Association
｜Image: Free image site Pexels
｜Editor: LuxeCO
