At their annual conference, the China Leather Association announced its strategies and goals for the next five years. Under pressure by slower paced growth in the global economy, the China leather industry will dedicate greater efforts in developing the domestic market by strengthening creativeness, branding, energy-saving, and reducing waste.  The Association aims to maintain a 10-percent annual growth rate in industry production value. The central government will designate five to eight production bases for tanneries so that the chemical oxygen demand and waste water effluence can be reduced by 10 percent in the next five years. Industry consolidation will continue and it is expected that medium to large scale tanneries will rise to 15 percent from its current share of 10 percent.