Part processed skins at a Tasman Tanning facility.
A European Commission proposal to exclude leather products from new anti-deforestation import regulations is being labelled as a "bit of a relief" by a readied leather producer, but "nonsense" by campaigners.
The European Union was working to reduce global deforestation in the production of commodities it sold, including beef, leather, wood, soya, rubber, palm oil and cocoa, in efforts to improve global biodiversity.
Incoming requirements under the new European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) would demand New Zealand exporters prove with due diligence documentation that no forests were cut down to make those products.
However, despite a focus on agriculture as a major driver of global deforestation - particularly cattle farming - the European Commission announced this month it was proposing to exclude leather products from the scope of the regulation.
