China imported 505,000 tons of raw hides and skins between January – April 2026, the first 4 months of 2026, an increase of 1.7% compared to the same period last year, according to the latest trade data released by the China Leather Industry Association (CLIA)
However, the value of raw hide and skin imports declined 4.9% year over year to $400 million, indicating lower average import prices despite the increase in import volumes.
Imports of semi-finished leather totaled 200,000 tons during the 4 month period, representing a 10.8% decline compared to January – April 2025.
The value of semi-finished leather imports fell more sharply, decreasing 20.1% year over year to $260 million.
Meanwhile, finished leather imports reached 11,000 tons between January – April 2026, down 9.0% from the same period last year.
In value terms, finished leather imports totaled $170 million, a 5.1% decline compared to January to April 2025.
The latest trade data indicates mixed import trends across China’s leather sector, with raw hide import volumes continuing to grow, while imports of semi-finished and finished leather declined in both volume and value during the first 4 months of 2026.
Overall, if you see, China’s leather industry, which includes the leather, footwear, leather garments, bags and cases sectors, recorded exports worth $25.4 billion and imports of $5.15 billion between January – April 2026, exports declined 6.5% year-on-year, while imports increased 4.3%.
