Chennai: Two strategic trade agreements between India, the UK and the European Union (EU) will facilitate the country in realising its export target of $14 billion in the leather products and non-leather footwear segment before the target year of 2030, said R Selvam, executive director, Council for Leather Exports (CLE).“It is possible with the additional advantage of the India–EU trade deal. Currently, we are exporting around $2.4 billion to EU countries, and we expect it to increase to at least $6 billion by 2030,” he told reporters here on Saturday. Most probably, if US tariffs are also reduced, it will further boost exports, he added.India’s exports in 2024–25 were at $4.8 billion, excluding non-leather footwear, and the combined exports stood at $5.5 billion.
It is likely to remain flat or hit the $5 billion–$5.5 billion mark in the current fiscal (FY26), he added.Abdul Wahab, regional chairman (South), CLE, said the past six months have been very hard for the leather industry, especially with US tariffs. “It has really affected us, but the resilience and support from the government through various measures, such as hand-holding and guiding us during this crucial period—especially towards non-US destinations such as the UK, Russia, Europe and the Far East—have helped us tide over this period. Despite the 50% tariff by the US, we still grew by one percent YoY (April–Nov 2024 vs April–Nov 2025),” he said.Meanwhile, the city will host the 39th India International Leather Fair 2026 between February 1 and 3, 2026, at the Chennai Trade Centre. The fair will display a range of products related to the leather and footwear industry, with 425 exhibitors from across the country and 67 exhibitors from overseas participating.
