Following a global call from the leather industry and the efforts of various parties, the European Commission's latest draft authorization bill has made a significant adjustment, removing raw hides and leather from the list of applicable items under the EU Zero Forest Deforestation Act (EUDR, Regulation No. (EU) 2023/1115).
The draft removes the entries related to raw hides and leather under tariff codes 4101, 4104, and 4107 from the annex to the bill, meaning that raw hides, semi-finished leather, and finished leather are no longer within the scope of EUDR regulation. The remaining leather categories under Chapter 41 were not originally on the controlled list; this adjustment further clarifies the industry's applicable boundaries.
Previously, the EUDR proposed including raw hides and leather under its regulation. The China Leather Industry Association immediately sent a letter to the Chinese Mission to the EU, clarifying its position based on the industry's nature and trade realities: Leather raw materials are by-products of animal husbandry, not a cause of deforestation, and possess resource recycling and low-carbon environmental attributes; the rule requiring full-chain traceability of the geographical coordinates of livestock farms lacks feasibility, would significantly increase compliance costs for Chinese exporters, easily create hidden trade barriers, and could trigger a chain reaction of subsequent expansion of the EU's regulatory scope for leather products.
The Chinese Mission to the EU attached great importance to the industry's demands and actively conveyed China's views to the European Commission; at the same time, the China Leather Industry Association continuously collaborated with international leather industry organizations to jointly express the industry's reasonable demands. Ultimately, the European Commission adopted the relevant suggestions and completed this category removal adjustment.
According to the legislative process, the draft still needs to complete the statutory procedures: public consultation will begin in May 2026, with the final draft expected to be released in the summer; after the bill is published, the European Parliament and the Council will also enter a two-month objection review period.
The China Leather Industry Association will continue to monitor the progress of the EUDR process, strengthen collaboration with international industry organizations, actively participate in the public consultation process, consolidate the results of this negotiation, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of domestic leather enterprises, and ensure the stable and healthy development of bilateral leather trade between China and the EU.
