(Finance) – The leather chain of Confindustria fashion accessories, which includes about 10,000 companies in the footwear sectors, leather goods, tanning, fur and leather clothing, presents the economic data of 2024 on the occasion of the inauguration of Micam Milan, Mipel, Theonemilano Special by Micam and Lineapelle, which take place at Fiera Milano Rho and are organized by federated associations (to which is added Milan Fashion & Jewels, organized by Fiera Milano). The estimated pre -concground turnover of the companies in the leather supply chain reaches 30 billion euros, marking a decrease of 2.8 billion compared to 2023, reflecting a negative trend that involves all sectors of the supply chain.
Export and import
In 2024, exports reached 25 billion euros, recording a drop of 8.2% compared to the same period of the previous year, while the import dropped to 11.5 billion (-4.5% compared to 2023). The commercial scale highlights a positive balance of 13.5 billion euros, confirming a particularly difficult situation. In this period, the significant reduction of orders, both national and foreign, due to an uncertain economic and geopolitical context, has seriously influenced the levels of business activities.
Among the main destination markets of products in the sector, within the European Union, France recorded a drop of 0.5% in the first ten months of 2024 compared to the same period of the previous year. Germany saw a 0.2% drop, while Spain and Poland showed an increase of 10.6% for both.
Outside the EU, exports to Switzerland collapsed by 59.1%, due to the continuous logistical choice of brands to replace the transits in the Swiss deposits with direct shipments to the final destination markets. The United States recorded a decrease of 3.9%, with an uncertain future due to possible new duties announced by the new administration. Export to Japan (+8.8%), Hong Kong (+4.8%) and the Arab Emirates (+37.1%) are growing. South Korea down (-14.4%) and China (-9.5%).
Employment
The difficulties of the sector inevitably reflect on employment levels. After a 2023 with a weak (and partial) recovery (+1.8%), in 2024, according to the infocative-movement data, a contraction of over 5,900 units compared to December 2023 (-4.1%) is expected to be expected), bringing the workforce to go down under 140,000 employees. The data also confirm the information released by INPS regarding the number of hours of CIG authorized in the leather supply chain: in 2024 (on an annual basis) 36 million hours were granted, with an increase of +128.2% compared to 15, 8 million hours recorded in 2023 2010, during the global economic crisis.
“The situation of the companies in the sector is particularly complex and the beginning of 2025 has not yet shown, to date, the signs of recovery that we hoped. However, right now, we feel the duty to maintain trust: the fairs that are about to start represent a unique opportunity, an international showcase thanks to the presence of buyers from all over the world “, he underlines Giovanna Ceolini, president of Confindustria fashion accessories explaining that “Made in Italy, as show on export data, especially in some countries, continues to be appreciated and recognized all over the world, thanks to the quality, design and excellence of the Our knowing how to do it. However, as in a situation in which companies and workers are extremely in trouble, support from the government is necessary, with structured and long -term interventions, to support the sector and avoid losing manpower, workers and jobs. For example, to an extension of the special CIG for 2025 or solutions that simplify access to credit, up to the resolution of the issue of the tax credit, which unfortunately still remains open. But we cannot fail to highlight the difficulties we are still facing “.
(Photo: Kelly Sikkema | UNSPLASH)