Until 1900 tanning was done in many places, but the trade has suffered from the declining use of harness and saddlery, the loss of its export markets for finished leather (which gave way to the export of hides and skins), and the increased use of synthetic materials. About a million hides, skins, and pelts are used annually, producing over a hundred different types and grades of leathers, including coloured leathers, for the manufacture of footwear and all types of bags and sporting and industrial leather goods.
Co-creator
Henry Curran Holden, M.A., Director, Trade Relations and Economics Division, and Economist, Department of Industries and Commerce, Wellington.