THE CONTEXT 3.1

It is a sector characterised by small and medium-sized enterprises.

Almost all of them are located within three specialised industrial districts according to the type of leather processed and merchandise destination:

• Arzignano (Vicenza - Veneto), specialised in the processing of large bovine hides for furniture, car interiors and footwear

• Santa Croce sull’Arno and Ponte in Egola (Pisa - Tuscany), characterised by the processing of calfskin leather for leather goods and footwear

The Italian tanning industry plays a pivotal role in the international context of the fashion, car interior and home system supply chains.

Its turnover, estimated at just over €4.4 billion for 2022, represents about 66% of European turnover and 23% of global turnover.

The total production for 2022 was about 108 million square metres, a reduction of 2.6% compared to the previous year.

1 Data source: UNIC 2023 Preliminary Statement

• Solofra (Avellino - Campania), known for processing sheep and goat skins for clothing.

Within the same tanning districts there are also chemical companies, machinery manufacturers, companies for the processing of tanning by-products, companies/service consortia that, together with tanneries, represent a unique offer system in the world.

The most recent 2022 estimates1 show:

• an increase in production value of 7.3% compared to 2021

• a production of 108 million square metres, down 2.6% on an annual basis

• an increase in exports of 7.7%, which account for more than 70% of the sector’s turnover

• a more marked slowdown for the furniture and car interiors sectors.

In 2022, the Italian tannery showed substantial increases during the first five months, and then recorded a production slowdown in the following months; a situation that continues even in the first months of 2023.

The decrease in demand reflects the economic consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian war and the health restrictions implemented in China (increase in the cost of raw materials and energy, inflation and decrease in purchasing power, reduction in consumption, etc.).

The table shows the trend of the main geographic markets of destination of the Italian tanned, comparing it with 2021 and 2019 (year before the COVID pandemic).

Sustainability is the pivot around which the Italian tanning industry will have to build its future to maintain its current global leadership.

The focus will remain on “historical” environmental matrices: water consumption and purification, waste production and management (in particular, sludge originating from water purification), emissions into the atmosphere from the final ennobling phases.

These issues will be accompanied, with increasing relevance, by the necessary contributions to:

• stopp and reverse the Route of Global Warming

• reduce environmental and social impacts along the supply chain

• guarantee traceability in the supply of raw hides by going further and further up the supply chain

• attract new generations and foster the professional growth of those who already work in this sector.

The Italian tannery must have the ability to look beyond its gates, improving the ability to interact with all the actors upstream and downstream of the sector; also to avoid being subjected to the imposition of rules developed by economic and institutional subjects with high decision-making power, but little knowledge of the peculiarities of this industry.