On September 1, the 2026 China International Leather Exhibition (ACLE) officially kicked off at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, marking the start of a three-day event. As the bellwether and premier trade platform for the global leather industry, this grand event integrates trade cooperation, technical exchange, fashion leadership, and brand empowerment. With a total exhibition area of 92,000 square meters spanning all eight halls, the show has brought together over 1,000 high-quality enterprises from more than 30 countries and regions, and is expected to attract over 35,000 visits from professional buyers for sourcing and networking.
Notably, this year's exhibition is held concurrently with the 2026 MODA CHINA at the same venue. This synergy not only creates a premier international brand exhibition covering the entire industry chain—from raw materials and chemicals to equipment and finished products—but also establishes it as a key vantage point for showcasing advanced technological achievements in the global leather industry.
**Renowned Enterprises Converge, Driving Deep Synergy Across the Entire Industry Chain**
Leveraging its unique advantages in green, functional, smart, and branded development, China's leather industry is continuously expanding into diverse consumer scenarios such as automotive and aviation interiors, as well as home furnishings. This trend places higher demands on the exhibition to precisely showcase upstream and downstream industries. On the opening day, buyers and traders from around the world flocked to the venue, actively engaging with exhibitors for consultations, sourcing new materials, and exploring new functionalities.
The exhibition boasts a formidable brand lineup. Leading international leather chemical companies such as Stahl, Smit & Zoon, FENICE, Trumpler, and Cromogenia presented comprehensive green chemical solutions covering the entire process from wet-end to finishing. Supply-side enterprises like JBS Couro and Bader showcased a wide range of products, including wear-resistant and waterproof green leathers for footwear, furniture, and automotive applications. The ASSOMAC pavilion brought functionally upgraded and technologically advanced tanning equipment and innovative technologies. The domestic exhibition area gathered over 800 key industry enterprises, covering raw and auxiliary materials and supporting products for tanning, leather chemicals, machinery, and footwear materials. Prominent companies including Xingye, Meihua, Hongsihai, Desail, Dower, Aima, Taiwei, Longyi, and Bonni joined forces to showcase the industry's innovative technological achievements in being "innovative, green, and smart." On the first day, companies such as Xingye, Zhenglong, and Haozun also held on-site new product launches and debuts, effectively linking technical exchanges with order negotiations.
**Green and Smart: Dual Drivers Powering Technological Innovation to Lead the Future**
Showcasing "technological innovation achievements" remains the biggest highlight of the ACLE. Companies have launched a batch of groundbreaking new technologies and products focusing on key areas such as green and low-carbon development, functional materials, smart technologies, and digital equipment.
In terms of green and low-carbon development, Xiongdi Technology exhibited its chrome-free tanning and bisphenol-free product system, providing combined process support for traditional chrome tanning, clean chrome tanning, and chrome-free wet-white leather production. Dower introduced its chrome-free, phosphate-free, and formaldehyde-free silicone tanning agent, Dower Tan SAT05, which boasts a shrinkage temperature of 85°C, imparting better whiteness to leather while reducing titanium dioxide consumption. Baosika's tanning wastewater recycling technology reduces water, salt, and enzyme consumption by approximately 70% each. Shishan Zhenglong has implemented a full vegetable tanning process, combining wastewater recycling and bath-free fatliquoring technologies to significantly elevate cleaner production standards.
In product innovation, Desail's DESOCOR oil and wax finishing series can be freely formulated according to leather characteristics to create oily, matte, and supple textures. Xingye Technology showcased three major green new products: Vegetable Coating 2.0, which balances mass production efficiency with ecological safety; Veg-Tan NP, which achieves zero chrome and zero formaldehyde with enhanced strength; and the water-dyed calf series, catering to high-end green demands. Henan Bonni exhibited insoles certified as Class II medical devices, marking an upgrade from everyday wear to medical-grade health protection.
In smart equipment, Aima CNC's N-3010 leather scanner is equipped with a 120-megapixel full-area HD recognition system and ISCAN 2.0 AI non-marking scanning technology, achieving a defect recognition accuracy of over 98%. Deshilong's C-166 dual-head asynchronous intelligent cutting machine features a dual-head suspended design, doubling production efficiency compared to single-head models, and comes standard with its proprietary CPB intelligent nesting system. Liangang Manufacturing's GTSG3-340 Roller Coating Star offers electric adjustment of the finishing gap with a precision of 0.01mm, and its patented slurry circulation system saves 50% to 70% of chemical agents.
**High-Level Concurrent Events: Shaping Industry ESG and Frontier Trends**
Beyond exhibitions and trade negotiations, the opening day also hosted a series of high-level concurrent events, including the Tanning Industry Development Exchange Conference, the Xinji Special Session for New Product and Technology Launches, the Machinery Special Session for New Product and Technology Launches, the 2027-2028 International Footwear, Leather Goods, Apparel, and Color Trend Release, and various industry symposiums. Without leaving the venue, industry professionals could attend expert discussions covering hot topics such as leather ESG development, international PFAS regulations, AI leather vision technology, and fashion trends.
The 2026 China International Leather Exhibition is not only a premier trade event but also a significant milestone for the global leather industry as it advances toward high-end, smart, and green development, continuously injecting strong momentum into the industry's high-quality growth.