Tuesday 07 April 2026 – 06:07 PM
The Center for Advanced Leather Industries organized an expanded symposium within the Leather Industry City in 10th of Ramadan City, with the participation of a number of investors, to discuss the most prominent challenges facing the sector in light of the current economic changes and global developments, in addition to examining mechanisms to support the industry and achieve Sustainable development of the leather sector.
For his part, Engineer Mohamed Zalat, Vice President of the Center, stressed that the state of security and stability witnessed by Egypt represents a decisive factor in supporting the investment climate, noting that investors view it as the basic foundation for continued expansion and pumping new investments.
Industry support mechanisms
Zalat explained that any current challenges remain of limited impact compared to the importance of stability, pointing out that the absence of security – even with low prices – leads to a slowdown in economic activity, which reflects the priority of stability among the business community.
He pointed out that the center’s investors called during the symposium to temporarily stop importing shoes and leather products until the end of the year, to allow more space for the local product and increase factory operating rates, in addition to contributing to alleviating the pressure on the foreign currency.
Zalat added that supporting the local product represents a strategic necessity at the current stage, not only to enhance production, but also to reduce dependence on imports and provide new job opportunities, stressing that the national industry is capable of meeting the needs of the market with competitive quality if it is provided with adequate protection and support.
He stressed that reducing random imports will contribute to market stability and create a fairer environment for local manufacturers, which will push towards increasing industrial investments during the coming period.
Center for Advanced Leather Industries
In the same context, Ahmed Al-Husseini, a member of the Board of Directors of the Center for Advanced Leather Industries, stressed the importance of combating smuggling operations and tightening control over customs ports, as it is one of the most prominent challenges facing the local industry, especially in light of the entry of products that do not conform to specifications at unfair prices.
Al-Husseini explained that combating smuggling represents an essential step to protect the local product and maintain the competitiveness of Egyptian factories, stressing the need to intensify oversight campaigns and activate the laws regulating markets.
He added that reducing unnecessary imports will contribute to supporting the national industry and enhancing its ability to grow, stressing that the current stage requires decisive decisions to protect local production and achieve balance in the market.
He pointed out that the coming period requires strengthening cooperation between all factories within the Leather City, and working according to an integrated system that achieves industrial integration, which contributes to maximizing the added value of the Egyptian product and increasing its competitiveness in local and global markets.
Al-Husseini stressed that supporting the local product and combating smuggling represent two parallel paths that are indispensable for achieving a real renaissance in the leather sector.
