China’s tanners are pleased about the rise of new energy vehicles (NEVs) in the market there, according to the vice-president of the China Leather Industry Association, Chen Zhanguang. By Leatherbiz.

In a conversation with World Leather in the build-up to the All China Leather Exhibition in Shanghai (September 3-5), Mr Chen said growth for NEVs is impressive. He pointed out that, last year, automotive manufacturers in China produced a record 30 million passenger vehicles and that 9.5 million of these had been NEVs.

According to Mr Chen, this increasing market share for NEVs is good news for automotive leather manufacturers. He said customers buying the electric vehicles are placing a great deal of emphasis on their experience while driving the cars. “It’s pleasant in the interior,” he explained, “and leather contributes to that high-quality experience.”

He argued that the proof of this could be that, although Chinese leather manufacturers recorded a decline in production volume of 8% in 2023, automotive tanners saw a 5% increase in the volume of leather they produced.