Brazil’s leather industry saw a slight rebound in May 2025, but the overall picture remains mixed as global challenges continue to weigh heavily on exports.
According to data from SECEX and
CICB, leather exports in May reached US$96.6 million. That’s 3% higher than April, but still 17.2% lower compared to May 2024.
In terms of volume, 14.8 million square meters and 45,000 tons of leather were exported. Both figures dropped sharply by about 15% from the same period last year. Compared to April, the decline was smaller, but still negative.
For the first five months of 2025, total exports hit US$489.1 million, down 10.7% from the same time last year.
When it comes to destination markets, China, the US, and Italy remain Brazil’s top buyers. However, each of them tells a different story:
China bought 11.1% less by value but increased its order size by 6.1% in area.
The United States showed a rare improvement, with a rise in shipment volume by 11.8% in May, even though values and volumes were down over the year and Italy saw drops in value but slight gains in volume.
Among other countries, South Korea and Norway stood out with strong growth. Spain also made a surprising leap with an 88% rise in value and 65.1% in area compared to last year.
In terms of leather types, finished leather is holding up better than others. It now makes up nearly half of Brazil’s leather export value and showed a 4.1% increase in area. Wet blue, once dominant, lost share and posted a 22.3% drop in value.
Salted hides had a quieter run over the past two months but are still performing better than last year.
Trade tensions continue to impact the sector. A tariff war that began in April has especially hurt exports to China and Italy.
Still, there are glimmers of hope. In May, more than 5.1 million square meters of finished leather were shipped the best result since October 2021.
A temporary 90-day suspension of extra US tariffs also brought some relief. But the long-term outcome remains uncertain.
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