The use of natural leather and leather products in human life has a long history. Our country with a long history in this field is one of the oldest leather producers in the world. leather industry
Looking at the relics left, we find that the Persians used leather to make shoes, clothes, and weapons around 1500 BC. Iran’s first leather factory was opened in 1312 in Hamedan and then in 1314, the second factory was opened in Tabriz. According to Dalir Leather Industries, Tabriz is currentlay known as the center of the leather and shoe industry in Iran.
However, at present, this industry has not been able to keep pace with the current developments in our country. In recent years, the shoe industry in our country has entered a competitive environment, but nevertheless has not yet been able to show its capabilities in the relative exposure to global markets, including neighboring countries.
Experts believe that the leather industry in our country has a high capacity for currency exchange, entrepreneurship, and job creation. Since the prosperity of the country’s leather industry plays a key role in the financial and economic structure of the country, it is necessary for the government to provide the necessary support to activists in this field, which unfortunately the shortcomings of the government have been obvious.
The leather industry is one of the indigenous industries in our country and certainly has a lot to say. Regarding the situation of the country’s leather industry, a member of the board of the Iranian Leather Industry Association had recently said in a radio program that the leather industry is employment-oriented and at the same time has a very high added value several times that of crude oil, which unfortunately loses due to salambour exports.leather producers
The wheel of every country is based on production, and it is definitely the scourge of any raw material industry. Given the key importance of exporting the final goods of the leather industry in the economy, governments around the world have prepared detailed plans for better exports in this area so that they can continue to grow and dynamize in the market of leather and leather products.leather producers
Exporting leather in the form of bags, shoes, jackets, belts, etc. has a significant profit compared to exporting leather in the form of raw materials; therefore, it demands that planning and policy-making in the country be given more attention in this direction. The shoe industry is one of the most employment-generating and lucrative industries in the world. Fortunately, this industry is growing in Iran today.
Tabriz as the center of the country’s leather and also Tabriz shoes is the owner of the brand of the country’s leather products. Currently, 50 large industrial units are operating in the Tabriz leather bag and shoe industry. In the field of shoes, there are 5500 leather production units in Tabriz, of which about 4300 units have a business license and 1200 units have a business license.
Of these 4300 production units, about 2400 units are active in the production sector, 1400 units in the sales sector, and 500 service units. According to statistics, currently, 250 leather production units, more than 95% of which are engaged in the production of heavy leather and the rest in the production of light leather, are operating in the city of Tabriz and the products of this industry in addition to meeting the domestic market needs, exported to China, Turkey, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain, India, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, and Armenia.leather producers
But the shoe market is facing a recession and the situation of Tabriz shoe exports does not seem favorable. About 40,000 people are directly active in the Tabriz shoe industry and 110,000 people are indirectly active in this industry, such as slaughterhouses and downstream industries and similar sectors.
Also, about 70 to 90 million pairs of shoes are produced per year, which covers between 45 to 60% of the total leather production of the country and also 15% of the total industry. In addition, almost 90% of handmade leather shoes in the whole country are produced in Tabriz.
By investing in China, India, and Pakistan and transferring technical knowledge, it also has a say in the leather industry of those countries. Turkey ranks second in the industry after Italy, and the United States is the largest buyer of leather in the world. Iran is also among the top three countries in the production of leather and the export of semi-finished products. Our country’s leather production is ranked third in the world in terms of quantity and quality, but the point is that most of our country’s leather exports are salambour and raw, which is due to the lack of necessary infrastructure and tools for processing and production of leather products. In other countries, including Turkey, the leather exchange is the most important feature of this industry.leather producers
