Question1: The hide price has been declining ever since January 2018, what do you think of the root cause for that?

自2018年1月以來，生皮的價格一直在下降，你認為它的根本原因是什么？

First, we all know that hide and skin prices are notoriously volatile. Because they are by-products of the meat and dairy industry, the supply of materials is not affected by the level of demand and the consequent price; as a result, the prices can fluctuate significantly with relatively small differences between supplies and demand. In simple terms, therefore, the declining hide price is due to the supply and demand situation - increased global slaughter rates (more hides) vs falling demand for leather (reduced raw material requirements by tanners).

首先，我們都知道，生皮的價格是出了名的不穩定。因為它們是肉類和奶制品行業的副產品，材料的供應不受需求水平和隨之而來的價格的影響; 其結果是，價格會隨著供應和需求之間的相對較小的差異而顯著波動。因此，在簡單的條件下，不斷下降的生皮價格是由于供應和需求的情況——全球屠宰率的升高（更多的生皮）和對皮革需求的下降（制革者減少原材料的需求）。

We see two main reasons for the recent worldwide weakness in prices. More recently there has been considerable uncertainty in the global economy, with particular uncertainty about the market in China, along with global concerns about high level of indebtedness and credit, the Trump-inspired trade war and uncertainties in Europe about the impact of BREXIT. This has been in addition to the slightly longer-term shift in the global shoe market (the biggest global end use market for leather) – away from traditional shoes and towards sports shoes (trainers) with each pair, progressively, incorporating less and less leather. One effect of this has been to contribute to a situation where Chinese tanneries require less hides, and demand from China still has a major impact on the raw hide market.

我們看到了最近全球價格疲軟的兩個主要原因。最近，全球經濟出現了相當大的不確定性，中國市場的不確定性，以及全球對高負債和信貸的擔憂，以及受到特朗普引發的貿易戰和歐洲區英國退歐影響的不確定性。除此之外，全球鞋類市場（全球用皮量最大的市場）的長期轉變，從傳統的鞋子，到運動鞋（運動鞋），逐漸的每雙鞋子的用皮量越來越少。這樣做的一個影響就是促成一個局面，中國的制革廠皮革需求量減少，而中國的需求仍然會對原始的生皮市場產生重大影響。

Question 2: Athletic shoes made with fabric or synthetic material are becoming more popular with consumers in some major markets such as the United States, could this trend change over time?

在美國等一些主要市場，用織物類或合成材料制成的運動鞋正變得越來越受消費者歡迎，這種趨勢會隨著時間的推移而改變嗎？

Trends are changing all the time – so anything is possible. However, it seems unlikely without some significant efforts to change consumer fashion trends and manufacturers’ choices regarding production processes. A change in fashion trends back to ’traditional’ leather footwear could reverse the swing to some degree. The other key factor is that footwear manufacturers have become more willing to use synthetic materials as components for footwear because they are easier to handle and to process, and both their appearance and behaviour are more consistent than leather. This lays down a challenge for tanners to produce leather or leather components that meet the specific production process requirements of the footwear manufacturer and that support a marketing “story” about leather as an environmentally friendly material.

趨勢一致都在改變-所以任何事情都有可能。然而，如果沒有一些重大的努力來改變消費者的時尚趨勢和制造商在生產過程中的選擇，這似乎是不可能的。時尚潮流的變化，回歸到“傳統”的皮鞋，可能會在一定程度上扭轉這一趨勢。另一個關鍵因素是，鞋類制造商更愿意將合成材料作為鞋類的零部件，因為它們更容易處理和加工，而且它們的外觀和性能都比皮革更穩定。這為制革廠提供了一個挑戰，讓他們生產滿足鞋類制造商的特定生產工藝要求的皮革或皮革部件，并支持皮革作為一種環保材料的營銷“故事”。

Question 3: World widely the environmental protection standards are rising year by year, so is the overall tanning cost, that all make the tanning industry very challenging, how the tanning industry could do to cope with those challenges?

世界范圍內的環境保護標準逐年上升，整體的製革成本，都使制革業很有挑戰性，製革行業如何應對這些挑戰？

It is increasingly clear that all tanners will have to achieve reasonable levels of environmental performance sooner or later, but not all improvements automatically add costs. Innovations in waste handling – recycling, reuse and recovery instead of disposal can minimise disposal costs and generate income. Innovations in process efficiency can minimise chemical, energy and water use and reduce wastage.

The things that need to be done are well understood but tanners need to keep an open mind as to how they achieve them. Tanners also need to maintain a regular dialogue with their customers in order to share knowledge and, where possible, avoid unnecessary costs by ensuring – as far as possible – that customers’ demands are reasonable and technically sensible.

越來越明顯的是，所有的制革者遲早都要達到合理的環保水平，但并不是所有的改進都會自動增加成本。廢物處理方面的創新——資源回收、再利用和恢復而不是廢物處置——可以將處理成本最小化，并產生收入。過程效率的創新可以減少化學、能源和水的使用，減少浪費。

需要做的事情製革者都非常理解，但是對于他們如何實現這些事情，他們需要保持開放的心態。為了分享知識，也需要與客戶保持定期的對話，并盡可能避免不必要的成本，確保客戶的需求是合理的，在技術上是明智的。

Question 4: Recently the tanning industry was wrongly reported by some animal welfare organizations, some consumers began to believe cows are slaughtered primarily for skin. Is there any way ICT help brands and consumers understand if not processed by the tanneries the pollution of the cow skins will be much more serious?

最近，一些動物福利組織錯誤地報道了制革業，一些消費者開始認為屠殺牛主要是為了外皮。信息通信技術有沒有什麼方式能幫助品牌和消費者理解，如果不被制革廠加工，牛皮的污染將會嚴重得多？

I think that everyone in the leather industry understands that there is a continuing need to educate both the end consumer and the distribution chain about the nature of leather and the leather-making process. Clearly, ICT has a part to play in this, but reaching the consumer, in particular, is not easy and it cannot fall to the ICT alone. All actors in the leather supply chain need to play a part to reach their customers with the correct information, and industry bodies such as ICT and Leather Naturally are co-operating to develop their activities in this area. ICT will shortly be launching its new website and is involved in the organisation of the 4^th World Leather Congress – “Leather in Everyday Life” - due to be held in New York on 16 July 2019, which will to address this issue, along with giving other positive messages about leather.

我認為，皮革行業的每個人都明白，對于皮革的本質和皮革制作過程，我們仍有必要對終端消費者和分銷鏈進行教育。很明顯，ICT在這方面有一定的作用，但是，接觸消費者特別不容易，而且它不可能僅僅依靠ICT。皮革供應鏈中的所有參與者都需要發揮作用，向客戶提供正確的信息，而信息通信技術和皮革等行業組織自然也在合作，以展開他們在這一領域的活動。ICT不久將推出新網站和參與第四屆世界皮革大會的組織——“皮革在日常生活”——將于2019年7月16日在紐約舉行,這將解決這個問題,以及提供其他關于皮革的積極信息。

Questions 5: Hide conditions has been worsening for many years, 85% SATRA cutting coefficient becomes challenging especially on natural products. To improve the grading also leads to the increase in chemical use. The primary reason for customer to buy a pair of leather shoe is for the nature beauty and comfortableness. Can ICT take the lead working with the leading companies in the shoe industry to set up a much more relaxed standard on leather defects, this could also meet consumers’ expectation of less waste and a cleaner earth.

多年來，生皮條件一直在惡化，85%的SATRA裁斷系數變得具有挑戰性，尤其是在天然產品上。為了提高級數也會導致化學使用的增加。顧客購買一雙皮鞋的主要原因是為了自然美和舒適。ICT是否可以引領鞋業界的主要企業合作并建立一個更加寬松的皮革瑕疵標準，這也可以滿足消費者對更少的浪費和更清潔的地球的期望。

Yes, ICT can become involved in this argument, but a major part of the discussion has to involve the other actors in the leather supply chain in order to reach their customers with the messages that demanding high cutting co-efficients, just for themselves, can create unnecessary problems and compromise the environmental credentials of the product. Eventually, it will also need the product manufacturers to be open to using leather with more defects, and the final consumer needs to appreciate that part of the beauty of leather is that it is a natural and variable material – and, of course, this is another part of the marketing story of using leather.

是的,ICT可以參與這個討論,但討論的一個主要部分需要包括皮革供應鏈中的其他角色人員以達到他們客戶要求裁斷系數高的消息,只是為了他們自己,可以創建不必要的問題和妥協的環境產品的憑證。最終,它也將需要使用皮革產品制造商開放更多的瑕疵,最終的消費者需要欣賞皮革此部分的美麗原因是,它是一個自然和可變得材料——當然,這是皮革營銷故事的另一部分。

Question 6:Currently cow leather is mainly used for shoes, car seats, upholstery, any other areas that leather can be widely used in the future?

目前，牛皮主要用于鞋、汽車座椅、室內裝潢，未來,皮革可以廣泛使用在其他領域嗎？

Leather has been around for a very long time and it is already very widely used – as well as those sectors listed above, traditionally it has been used in an extensive range of products including industrial products (such as drive belts, valves and seals), in protective products, equestrian products (saddles, harnesses), bags, belts, straps, garments, sports equipment (balls, gloves, coverings). However, it is difficult to envisage any new major uses, although potentially profitable niches are likely to arise on a reasonably regular basis. For example, the fashion sector of handbags and accessories has recently been performing well and there has been recent growing interest in corporate and institutional interior design (furniture, décor, floor tiles, wall panels) of public buildings, offices, hotels etc. Leather has also become popular in transport (airplanes, buses, trains)because it is easier to clean and lasts longer than alternative materials.

皮革已經存在了很長時間,并已經被廣泛使用,除了上面列出這些領域外,傳統上皮革已經被大範圍的用於產品上,包括工業產品(如傳送帶、閥門和密封圈),在防護產品,馬具產品(馬鞍,馬具)、包、腰帶、肩帶、服裝、運動器材(球、手套、覆蓋物)。然而，很難想象任何新的主要用途，盡管潛在的有利可圖的利基市場很可能會在合理的基礎上出現。例如,時尚手袋及配件部門最近表現良好,最近他們對公共建築，辦公室，酒店等企業和機構室內設計越來越感興趣(家具、裝飾、地磚、墻面板)。皮革也會流行于交通工具上(飛機、公共汽車、火車),因為它比其他替代材料更容易清潔和耐用。

Question 7: From the technical perspective, what the Future Leather would be compared with what it is like today?Will there be more breakthrough to make leather more comfortable and environmental friendly?

從技術的角度來看，與目前的皮革相比未來的皮革會是如何？是否會有更多的突破使皮革更加舒適和環保？

It is difficult to envisage any single, major technical breakthrough that will benefit the tanning industry in the future, but there will be a steady stream of developments aimed at improving efficiency, environmental performance and the functional properties of leather.

In processing, we will see new alternative tanning agents, all with special properties, but with the challenge to improve on what is already available, in terms of functionality, cost effectiveness and environmental acceptability; new processing systems that reduce or remove the need for certain strong chemicals, or even water from the process; new process chemicals that improve functional properties, such as strength, flexibility, waterproofing, fireproofing; new chemicals for masking surface faults potentially improving cutting co-efficients; new systems for re-use, recovery, recycling of by-product, waste, chemicals, water – leading to zero emissions.

很難設想未來會有任何一項有利於製革業的重大技術突破，但“提高效率、環保性能和皮革的功能特性”將會是一個穩定的發展趨勢。在發展過程中，我們將看到新的替代鞣劑，它們都具有特殊的特性，但在功能、成本效益和環境可接受性方面，我們面臨著改進現有的技術的挑戰; 新的處理系統減少或消除對某些強化學物質的需求，甚至是其過程中的水，新工藝化學品改進了功能性質，如強度、彈性、防水、防火;用于掩蓋表面斷層的新化學物質有可能提高裁斷效率;用于重復利用、回收、回收副產品、廢物、化學品、水的新系統——從而達到零排放。

Question 8: For the tanning process, how much it will be reshaped by automation in the future though we all know this is already not a labor intensive industry.

對于製革的過程，在未來的自動化中會有多大的改變，盡管我們都知道這已經不是一個勞動密集型產業了。

Tanning is typically a series of batch processes and the level of automation has been increasing on a step by step basis, as individual processes have been automated wherever practical. The most obvious area has been in automated handling systems for collecting, stacking and moving hides, skins and leather from one process to the next. This replacement of manual handling also has benefits for improving the health and safety of workers. The individual processes such as dosing of drums, spraying, measuring and cutting are being automated, along with the collation of process data for use in monitoring and quality control. If carried out properly, automation can improve quality and consistency of product, as well as achieving efficiency savings.

制革通常是一系列的批處理過程，自動化程度也在逐步提高，因為實際上單一工序已經實現自動化。最明顯的領域是自動處理系統，從一個過程到下一個過程，收集、堆放和移動生皮和皮革。這種人工操作的替換也有利于提高工人的健康和安全。對鼓、噴灑、測量和裁斷等單一工序進行自動化，并對過程數據進行整理，以便在監測和質量控制中使用。如果進行適當的操作，自動化可以提高產品的質量和穩定性，并提高效率。

Question 9: Man made leather, fabric, synthetic are all eroding the market share of leather, in the near future, any other kind of materials can substitute leather for shoes?

人造皮革、編織物、合成物都在侵蝕皮革的市場份額，在不久的將來，任何其他種類的材料都可以代替鞋子上的皮革？

There are many interesting materials being developed but many seem not to have progressed much further than the concept stage. Also, a key element of footwear composition is the process of manufacture, with the manufacturers essentially wanting materials that fit easily and efficiently into their manufacturing processes.

有許多有趣的材料正在被開發中，但許多似乎都是停留在概念階段，沒有進一步發展。此外，鞋類構成的一個關鍵因素是制造過程，制造商本質上想要的是能夠輕松有效地進入生產流程的材料。

Having said this, we see, in the longer term, a number of types of material that could become available to footwear manufacturers alongside leather. We have already seen improvements in PU and PVC materials that mimic leather and there is a new generation of “hybrid” materials entering the market, with mixtures of leather fibres (from waste leather) and other materials often combined with a synthetic or fabric base layer. Beyond that there is biofabricated material, based on genetically engineered collagen, which still appears to be at the development stage. Also, on the horizon are plant-based materials.

話雖如此，但從長遠來看，我們可以看到，很多類型的材料被鞋類制造商和皮革搭配使用。我們已經看到了模仿皮革的PU和PVC材料的改進，新一代的“混合”材料進入市場，混合了皮革纖維（來自廢皮革）和其他材料，通常與合成或織物基層結合在一起。除此之外，還存在著一種基于基因工程膠原蛋白的生物材料，這種材料似乎仍處于開發階段。同時，在孕育階段的還有植物性材料。

Reverting briefly to the process of footwear manufacture, one aspect that the whole industry sector should be monitoring carefully is the use of 3D printing. There are already reports of some niche operators printing whole shoes using this technology, and also some of the major brands are reported to be using 3D printing to produce components, such as insoles. Currently the materials typically used in 3D printing are reported to be plastics such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyamide (nylon), or polycarbonates and metals such as silver, titanium and steel, but research is understood to be ongoing to use additional materials.

簡單地回顧一下鞋類制造的過程，整個行業部門應該仔細監控的一個方面是3D打印的使用。已經有報道稱，一些小眾公司使用這種技術來打印整款鞋，而且據報道，一些主要品牌也在使用3D打印技術生產零部件，比如鞋墊。目前，在比較典型的使用在3D打印中使用的材料據說是塑料，如丙烯腈丁二烯苯乙烯（ABS），聚酰胺（尼龍），或聚碳酸酯和金屬，如銀，鈦和鋼，但是研究認為會繼續使用額外的材料。

The leather industry needs to continue to stress that none of the materials described in the above paragraphs can accurately be described as leather, which is still a powerful marketing term, and any attempts to undermine the definition and description of leather should be resisted.

皮革行業需要繼續強調的是以上段落所提及的材料都不能準確地描述為皮革，這仍然是一個強有力的營銷術語，任何企圖破壞皮革定義和描述都應該受到抵制。

Question 10:Facing with so many challenges, can the tanning industry still have a bright future?

面對這樣的挑戰，制革行業還能有一個光明的未來嗎？

The current market situation and trends make looking into the future rather difficult, but the overall situation is that raw material supplies – though finite – will continue to grow slowly over the coming years. With population growth and rising living standards, especially in Asia, it would be expected that demand will return. While footwear is likely to take a smaller proportion of total finished leather, there is the prospect that the absolute total will remain stable. Production of leathergoods is most likely to increase steadily, while car upholstery, albeit with a slower growth rate is still likely to grow slowly. The other broad sectors are likely to be fairly stable, although there may be some growth within specialist niches.

當前的市場形勢和趨勢使得展望未來變得相當困難，但總體情況是，原材料供應——盡管有限——將在未來幾年繼續緩慢增長。隨著人口增長和生活水平的提高，尤其是在亞洲，預計人們需求將會恢復。雖然鞋類在成品皮革使用中中所占比例可能較小，但絕對總量仍將保持穩定。皮革制品的生產最有可能穩步增長，而汽車內飾，盡管增長速度較慢，但仍有可能緩慢增長。其他廣泛的領域可能相當穩定，盡管在專業領域可能會有一些增長。

Looking from another perspective, the future for the high quality end of the market looks positive, and it is interesting to see more and more quality brands investing in tanneries to secure their long term raw material supplies. It seems that luxury products will always be in demand.

從另一個角度來看，高端市場的前景看起來是積極的，看到越來越多的優質品牌投資于制革廠，以確保原材料的長期供應，這是很有趣的。奢侈品似乎總銷路都很好。

For companies producing lower grades of leather, life is likely to become difficult, with growing competition from synthetics and alternative materials, and these companies may struggle to maintain their margins.

對于生產低檔皮革的公司來說，生活很可能會變得困難，因為來自合成材料和替代材料的競爭日益激烈，這些公司可能難以維持利潤。

Those companies producing the mid to upper quality ranges of leather will face significant threats and opportunities. They will face the same challenges from alternative materials but need to take a positive approach to promoting and selling the qualities of leather, along with its environmental credentials and its potential to add value to the finished products. In this context, the whole industry and its associations need to work together to maintain the image and cache of leather, along with its authenticity, in terms of accurate product labelling and designation.

那些生產中高檔皮革系列的公司將面臨巨大的威脅和機遇。他們將面臨來自替代材料的挑戰，但需要采取積極的方式來推廣和銷售皮革的性質，以及它的環保資質，以及它為成品增加價值的潛力。在這種情況下，整個行業及其協會需要共同努力，以精準的產品標簽和標識來緩存和維護皮革的形象，以及它的可靠性。

Question 11: In addition to the major markets like the U.S. EU, Eastern Asian countries, are there still any countries or regions that have great potential for leather sales?

除了像美國歐盟、東亞國家這樣的主要市場，還有哪些國家或地區有很大的皮革銷售潛力？

This needs to be considered as two separate questions, although they are related. There are the markets for consumer products, which is where the spending power is, and the markets for leather, where leather products are fabricated, historically based primarily on low labour costs.

這需要作為兩個單獨的問題來考慮，盡管它們是相關的。消費產品市場是消費型的市場，而皮革產品則是制造皮革的市場，而皮革產品的市場歷來主要基于低廉的勞動力成本。

The main areas for the growth of consumer markets would still appear to be in South East Asia, while Africa remains a prospect for growth in the long term. One area not to be ignored is Russia and Eastern Europe, where it appears that demand for consumer products significantly exceeds supply. South America will grow as a consumer market, but the region already has a strong production base.

消費市場增長的主要領域仍將出現在東南亞，而非洲仍有望在長期內實現增長。一個不被忽視的領域是俄羅斯和東歐，在那里，對消費品的需求明顯超過了供給。南美將成為一個消費市場，但該地區已經擁有強大的生產基地。

As regards markets for leather, the main areas of growth are currently those around the periphery of China – (such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Indonesia) but the main long term markets are predicted to be in Africa, as the low labour costs attract leather product manufacturers, with the current main focus being Ethiopia.

至于皮革市場,主要的增長地區目前圍繞在中國的邊緣-(如越南、柬埔寨、孟加拉、印度尼西亞)但主要的長期市場預計在非洲,低廉的勞動力成本吸引皮革產品制造商,當前重點是埃塞俄比亞。

Question 12: Any suggestions for Tehchang specifically in this fiercely competitive industry?

在這個競爭激烈的行業里，對德昌有什么建議？

The company should continue to do what it is already doing, but continually look at what it is doing and how it is doing it – and look ahead at what is likely to happen next.

德昌應該繼續做它已經在做的事情，但是要不斷地觀察公司在做什么以及是如何做的——并展望接下來可能發生的事情。

The company needs to maintain a regular, constructive and positive dialogue with existing and potential suppliers and customers throughout the supply and distribution chain, so that the whole chain knows what the company is doing and understands the quality and the properties of the leather produced.

Tehchang tanneries need to ensure that they are operating in a way that is environmentally, socially and ethically responsible, and that investments in these areas are cost effective. The company should be monitoring its performance in these areas and be prepared to report the results.

公司需要在整個供應鏈中與現有的和潛在的供應商和客戶保持定期的、建設性的和積極的對話，這樣整個供應鏈就能知道公司在做什么，并了解生產的皮革的質量和性能。

德昌制革廠需要確保他們的經營方式是對環境、社會和道德負責的，而且在這些領域的投資是有成本效益的。該公司應該監控其在這些領域的表現，并準備報告結果。