Govt allows rawhide export

 The government for the first time allowed five private companies for exporting 10 million square feet of wet-blue leather (rawhide), that is, 2 million square feet for each of the companies.

Chief Controller of the Import and Export Regulatory Office of the Ministry of Commerce (Export-1 Branch) issued a letter in this regard on Saturday.

The five companies are ASK Investment, Kader Leather Complex Ltd, Amin Tannery Ltd, Leather Industries of Bangladesh Ltd (unit-2) and Kalam Brothers.

According to sources, the five companies have been allowed to export wet-blue leather a per the export policy 2018-21.

This permission will only be applicable to a specified amount of Wet Blue leather permitted for export. The companies will have to reapply for subsequent exports. They must export quality wet leather.

In addition, the conditions for export include the validity of the export permit till 30 June 2022. At the end of shipping, all the documents related to export have to be submitted to the Export-1 Branch of the Ministry of Commerce.

The government can ban the export of wet-blue leather any time if it feels necessary.

However, the government on July 29, 2020 temporarily lifted the ban on export of rawhide and wet blue leather in an effort to keep demand and supply of the items stable.

The Office of the Chief Controller of Imports and Exports under the commerce ministry had issued a public notice lifting the export ban on the raw and wet blue leathers imposed by the Export Policy 2018-21.

The government had taken the decision against the backdrop of a drastic fall in prices of the rawhide in 2020.

The procurement process of rawhide of sacrificial animals witnessed an unprecedented disorder in last two years as people who sacrificed animals and collected rawhide dumped a sizeable amount of the items after business syndicates allegedly declined to pay the minimum price.