Indonesia joins leather expo

JAKARTA (JP): A number of leading Indonesian leather manufacturers are to join leather producers from 20 countries in the All China Leather Exhibition '98 in Beijing from Nov. 23 to Nov. 26.

The exhibition's organizer said in a statement made available here on Tuesday that the event would open opportunities for Indonesian and other firms to enter China and establish cooperative links with Chinese enterprises.

"With a stable Renminbi (yuan) and a positive trade balance, China stands out as the 'escape market' of the Asian financial turmoil and maintains a positive outlook for business," said Perrine Ardouin, senior event manager.

Ardouin said China's leather industry continued to absorb an increasing proportion of imported materials. In the first six months of this year alone, China imported US$1.2 billion-worth of hides, $170 million of shoe components and shoe and tanning machinery worth $40 million. (rid)