Council For Leather Exports Targets 10% Export Growth

P.R. Aqeel Ahmed, Chairman Council for Leather Exports ( CLE), presented a growth target of 10% of the leather and footwear sector at the Joint Meeting of Board of Trade and Council for Trade Promotion and Development. Union Minister of Commerce and Industry & Railways, Piyush Goyal, who presided over the meeting, urged the representatives of industry and exports bodies to stop depending on crutches of subsidies and grants from the Central Government and strive to make industry more competitive and self-reliant.

The Joint Meeting of Board of Trade and Council for Trade Promotion and Development was held in New Delhi on June 6, 2019 under the Chairmanship of Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Commerce & Industry and Railways. During the meeting, various issues like cost and availability of finance, removal of GSP by USA, tackling import of value added products, packing credit, etc., were discussed.

P.R. Aqeel Ahmed, Chairman, CLE expressed his appreciation to the Minister for not only immediately hearing the concerns of the exporters but also resolving the issues in quickest possible time. In this meeting, Ahmed highlighted the potential for increasing exports of leather, leather products and footwear sector and stated that the sector has the potential to achieve 10% annual growth in exports by enhancing its market share in not only the traditional markets of Europe and USA but also in potential markets like Japan, Russia, UAE, South Africa, Canada, Australia etc. In order to achieve the significant growth levels and also to protect the domestic industry manufacturing value added products, Ahmed requested the following support measures from the Government.

Removal of US GSP has affected exports worth USD 380 million. Hence, suitable support measures may be provided so as to maintain and further enhance our export growth to USA

Rebate of State and Central Levies scheme may be implemented for leather, leather products and footwear sector

Animal Quarantine Clearance requirement may be removed for all categories of finished and crust leathers imported into India, as such requirement is not prevalent in overseas countries.

Measures to promote growth of domestic footwear industry may be considered. Along with Ahmed, Sanjay Leekha, VC, CLE , Puran Dawar, RC (North), CLE and R. Selvam, IAS, ED, CLE also participated in the joint meeting.