In a memorandum submitted to the minister here on Wednesday, N Abdul Rahim, president of the association, said that a good number of small tanneries have been closed and several others were facing threats of closure for want of demand for leather, especially the semi-processed ones like EI tanned and crust, in the domestic market.

He said this was the condition in places like Erode, Trichy, Dindugal, Pernambut and Ambur. These places , he said faced survival threats and could render many unemployed. According to Rahim, if the trend was allowed to continue, ``the leather industry in Tamil Nadu will come to a standstill and the only way now left is to allow free export of all types of leather immediately.''

Talteia secretary MS Vadivelu pleaded for freeexport of all types of leather, as the product manufacturing sectors are allowed to import leathers freely for their requirements.

``They are doing only a job work business and the foreign exchange earning is marginal. If free export of all types of leather is allowed, the foreign exchange earning will be higher'', he claimed. He also called for imposing import duty on all types of leathers so that there was demand for local semi-processed and finished leather.