China's export of leather products up 20.6 pct on-yr in Q1

An exhibitor arranges leather products during the 130th session of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 15, 2021. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

China's export of leather products increased 20.6 percent year on year to 22.08 billion U.S. dollars in the first quarter of this year, according to data released by China Leather Industry Association (CLIA) on Thursday.

The export value of leather products accounted for 2.7 percent of the country's total.

During the period, the import value of leather products was 4.79 billion U.S. dollars, down 1.4 percent year on year, resulting in a trade surplus of 17.29 billion U.S. dollars, up 28.5 percent year on year.

China has been a major producer and exporter of leather products of the world. The country's export of leather products gradually recovered in 2021, with export value increasing nearly 33 percent year on year after a drop in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, external risks such as raging pandemic, international commodity price hike, mounting inflationary pressures on major economies still exist, posing great challenges to the development of China's leather industry, according to the CLIA.