China leather exports fall 6.5% to $25.4 billion through April

China’s leather industry exported $25.47 billion in the first four months of 2026, a 6.5% year-on-year drop that lands squarely on the supply chain behind hardware bins, starter kits and finished leather goods. Imports moved the other way, rising 4.3% to $5.15 billion, a split that suggests the market is cooling on the export side even as buyers keep bringing material into the country.

The China Leather Industry Association’s January-March tally showed the same pattern gathering earlier in the year. Exports reached $19.05 billion in that period, down 4.2% year-on-year, while imports rose 4.6% to $3.87 billion. By April, the decline had deepened, turning the quarter-to-date slowdown into a clearer signal that the first part of 2026 was not just a one-month wobble.

Footwear carried most of the weight. China exported 2.75 billion pairs of shoes from January to April, worth $12.33 billion, down 10.3% from a year earlier. Leather garments moved in the opposite direction, with exports rising 42.8% to $38.60 million through April, after January-March leather garment exports hit $33.5 million, up 54.3%. Bags and cases were flatter, with January-March exports at $7.04 billion, down just 1.1%. That mix matters for makers because it shows the downturn is concentrated in high-volume categories rather than hitting every corner of the trade at once.

For leathercrafters, the practical question is not just whether exports are down, but where that pressure lands next. China remains a central node for snaps, buckles, machine-made components, budget tools and entry-level materials that many small shops and hobby benches depend on. A softer export environment can bring more aggressive pricing from suppliers competing for orders, but it can also tighten lead times, narrow selection and make factories more cautious about the low-margin items that fill the basic-kit end of the market.

The broader backdrop is already heavy. CLIA said China’s leather industry exported $82.72 billion in 2025, down 10.9% year-on-year, and that export value for January-June 2025 was $43.23 billion, down 7.8%. Put against that run, the January-April 2026 figures look less like a fresh shock than the continuation of a trade environment that is still trying to find firmer footing.