KARACHI, June 24: Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) Chairman Khawaja M. Yousuf has expressed concern over the sagging situation of the leather industry owing to continued decline in export of finished leather.

In a statement here on Saturday, he said official figures could verify this fact that finished leather exports had been lately declining which was adversely affecting the industry.

Although manufacturers-cum-exporters of leather had been actively working to increase exports, high cost of production, particularly a three-fold increase in chrome tanning salt, gas, electricity charges, POL, surge in workers’ wages, etc., did not allow them to achieve higher exports.

As a result of high cost of input, he said, leather exports became uncompetitive in the world market. He appealed to the commerce minister and the CBR to announce some relief in the trade policy, as no such measures were announced in the budget 2006-07.