Brazil plays a leading role in the world market of bovine leather, being a reference in quality, innovation and quantity for export. This is because the country has one of the largest cattle herds in the world, since leather is a by-product of the food segment, fostering an upcycling industry.
According to data and information from the Centro de Indústrias de Curtumes do Brasil (CICB), the sector generates around US$ 2 billion a year, through more than 3 thousand industries that deal directly with this material. This generates a huge amount of jobs and income.
In May of this year, the total number of employees in these industries was around 31 thousand direct employees, with a positive rate compared to the same period in 2021. This number is even higher if we consider indirect jobs and companies that provide services or produce components for the footwear leather sector.
And a large part of this socioeconomic importance of Brazilian leather lies in its great ability to export to world markets. Also according to the CICB, in the last three months alone – April, May and June 2022 – there were almost US$ 335 million in exports of more than 36 million square meters of leather abroad.
Southeast Asia:
The main buyers of Brazilian leather are in this region. China and Hong Kong have the largest market share and a Brazilian share of 9.9% in the supply of this noble material to their factories.
Mexico:
The main focus of Brazilian leather exports to Mexico is to meet the great demand of its high-end footwear and automotive industries, which are, respectively, the ninth largest in the world in footwear and the eighth in automobiles.
Europe:
In the Old Continent, the biggest buyer markets are Italy and Spain. In the first, Brazil is the largest exporter of finished leather and the second largest in wet blue. In the second, the share of Brazilian leather is still low, but it has enormous potential for the coming years.
United States:
One of the biggest markets working with leather is in North America, with the American industry having a market share of 3%. Of these, Brazilian leather is the second most purchased, with the largest share of finished leather.
Courovale is an active part of this segment that is so important to the Brazilian economy, promoting employment and income through the development of high quality leather goods for use in the domestic or foreign market. Discover more of our collections on our website or social networks and contact us!