Italy’s tanning industry suffered “a large contraction in activity” in 2023, according to comments from the president of industry body UNIC, Fabrizio Nuti.

Addressing UNIC’s annual assembly in Milan on June 20, Mr Nuti said tanners supplying the wider fashion sector had suffered the most, with suppliers to footwear and leathergoods manufacturers experiencing double-digit declines in 2023 compared to the previous year.

He added that tanners serving the automotive sector had managed to “limit their losses”.

Data prepared by the economics team at UNIC said that Italy’s tanners had earned combined revenues of €4.3 billion, a fall of 6.5% year on year.

In terms of volume, UNIC said the industry’s figures had fallen below 100 million square-metres of leather, declining by 9.5% compared to 2022.

Fabrizio Nuti, who was confirmed as the president of UNIC for another two years at the Milan meeting, also pointed out that 77% of total sales of Italian leather were to customers in the European Union in 2023.

Image: Conceria Gabbiano, Santa Croce.