The results of Colombia’s footwear exports in the first quarter of 2025 are encouraging, according to the industry association ACICAM. Foreign revenue rose by 3.8% year-on-year, with a strong performance in the United States, which is also a key buyer of leather goods. For this reason, ACICAM is calling for investment in the leather sector’s potential: leather items account for 41% of total exports, but they are the most value-added and “strategic”, according to local media reports.
The potential of leather
Colombia’s leather supply chain, ACICAM argues, already benefits from strong domestic demand and a solid regional market. The prospect of expanding its presence in the United States, or entering new destinations such as the United Arab Emirates, offers significant opportunities — provided the country can structure its supply with a focus on quality. In this context, recent efforts to clamp down on illegal or unregulated factories take on added importance. The latest case concerns a tannery in Chocontà (a town in the Department of Cundinamarca, less than 100 km from the capital Bogotá). A surprise inspection by local authorities found the company discharging wastewater without prior treatment. The sanction? Suspension of production activities.
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