The leather sector is an export French champion
It's a first.In 2018, the French leather sector posted an excess trade balance carried by luxury.Exports of leather items and skins were thus greater than imports, boosted by an increase in prices: they amounted to 11.7 billion euros, up 10 %, while imports accuse a declineFrom 8 %, to 10.7 billion euros, according to data from the National Leather Council.Good news for French industry.
Luxury brands, in particular, are highly appreciated abroad, especially for their know-how in leather goods, like Vuitton or Hermès."The rise in exports of finished products is more linked to a rise in the articles sold than a clear increase in exported volumes," said the Council.
This is the case for handbags, whose volumes were slightly reduced to export, while sales increased by 13 % in value.In addition to leather goods (62 %), shoes are the other pillar of these exports (30 %), monitoring of raw leathers and skins (5 %).
Strong demand in China
Italy remains the first customer in France (11 %) before Hong-Kong and the United States.But since 2010, the demand for China and Singapore, especially for leather goods has exploded, which has made it possible to double the exports of these products."Sales in China represent only 4 % of French exports, but it is a booming market," notes the National Leather Council, with an increase of 36 % in 2018!
At the same time, "the national demand for finished products tends to be reduced and to orient itself towards cheaper products", notes the latter, whether for shoes that constitute the bulk of purchases (61 %),where handbags (29 %).Imports of Asian bags are thus down 4 %.While those of the Italian bags collapse by 44 %.China is the first supplier of the sector, in front of the Italian peninsula.
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