US-China spat may spell manna for SME leather exporters: CRISIL

The US, the UK, Germany, Spain, France and Italy account for more than half of overall leather exports from India

CRISIL Research expects 2018-19 to be a good one for India’s small and medium enterprise (SME) leather exporters, given a pick-up in demand from the US and expectations of the Donald Trump administration imposing tariffs on Chinese leather footwear — not in the tariff list currently — early next calendar year. 

SMEs comprise 85-90 per cent of the industry, the majority of these located in clusters — the prominent ones being Kanpur, Agra, NCR, Kolkata and Chennai.

Exports contribute 45-50 per cent of the overall leather and leather products industry’s revenue. The US, the UK, Germany, Spain, France and Italy