In exercise of the powers conferred under section 3 of the Imports and Exports (Control) Act, 1947, the Chief Controller of Imports and Exports hereby specifies, for the purpose of the entry “ Finished Leathers, all kinds” appearing at Sl. No. 16 Para 162, Part V, Chapter XVI of the Export and Import Policy, 1992-97, that the items mentioned in column 2 of the table hereunder shall constitute “Finished Leathers” and the same may be exported without a licence but subject to the terms and conditions specified against each item in column 3 of the table hereunder.
 

Note:-Any new type of finished leather not covered above may be permitted for export, subject to testing and certificate by the Central leather Research institute.

Definition of manufacturing operation

A-1.Cuffing – an operation to produce along flesh surface on leather by the action of an emery wheel or a cuffing machine.

A-2. Combination Tanning – Tanning with more than one kind of tanning agent, such as mineral tanning and vegetable tanning and/or syntan tanning end/or resin tanning and/or aldehyde tanning and/or oil tanning in any sense mineral tanning being compulsory.

A-3 Dyed running – The process of drumming dry leather carried out to soften the leather and/or open up nap in suede leather.

A-4 Dyeing – Treating the leather with a solution of synthetic (Coal tar) dye/s to import colour to it which is medium or dark or light and distinctly different from the colour of chrome/vegetable/or combination crust leather.

A-5 Embossing-Producing a raised pattern by pressure and heat upon the grain side of the leather. The pattern may be on a plate or roller according to the type of machine.

A-6 Fatliquoring – Treating the leather with oil and/or fat, emulsified in water for rendering leather soft.

A-7 Glazing – The process of producing a high glass by polishing grain surface of leather under heavy pressure of a roller of a gate, glass or steel.

A-8 Ironing - Process of hot pressing the finished leather with laundry iron to give the leather a smooth appearance. It may also be done by a hand iron or by an electrically heated ironing machine.

A-9 Leveling – Reducing by any mechanical means like splitting and/or shaving and/or buffing the substance of a particular side/piece of leather to uniform thickness throughout with an admissible tolerance.

A-10 Oiling – The process of rubbing oil on the grain side of wet or sammed leather with the object of making the leather soft and pliable; in the case of vegetable tanned leather also to protect the colour of tannage from darkening by oxidation.

A-11 Plating – producing a smooth grain surface of leather by pressing it on a bed with a smooth heated metal plate under pressure using a hydraulic press or roller.

A-12 Plush wheeling – A mechanical operation for producing a fine and smooth surface on leather; also carried out to get velvety appearance on the flesh side of leather by revolving action of felt or plush wheel.

A-13 Protective Coat – The protective Coat shall consist of (i) binder with pigment or (ii) binder with dye or (iii) binder with dye and pigment. The binder will consist of proteinous substances like (i) Casein or (ii) synthetic resin or (iii) A blend of protein substances and synthetic resin binder.

The protective coat will also be topped with (i) formaldehyde or (ii) formaldehyde and casein or (iii) lacquer or (iv) lacquer emulsion or (v) vivls or (vi) polyurethane’s or a combination of then depending up on the compatibility.

The protective coat shall form a uniform film which shall be fast be wet and dry rubbing as per the test specified below and shall be visible. If necessary microscopic examination, of the surface at 32 times magnification shall be carried out to detect the protective coat (see Note).

Note 1:

Binocular stereoscopic microscopic with two converging objectives (Magnifying power of each of the two eye pieces 8x and magnifying power of two objectives 4x will be required).. The object should be viewed at a total magnification of 8x4 times (32x). Stereoscopic microscope gives a three dimensional view of the object.

Leather sample to be examined placed on the stage of the microscope with the grain facing the objectives and then the surface is focussed. Two or three places in each if the five locations, namely but belly (one on each side of the back bone line) and neck or shoulder examined.

To the naked eye, the grain surface may appear to be plain, but when focussed under the microscope, innumerable depressions can be seen on the surface. These depressions are due to cleavage lines and hair press. If protective coat is sprayed on the grain surface, it will be present throughout including depressed areas and both the depressed and other areas will produce the same type of reflection which is clearly visible under the microscope. If the leather is glazed without having a protective coat, depressed areas will not be glazed due to the very narrow with of the depression as they will not come in contact with the glass slab of the glazing machine. Thus , these two areas will produce two different types of reflection.. From these reflections it can be easily detected whether protective coat is present or not. Again, if a thin protective coat, prepared with a pigment and a binder is applied on the grain surface, it is easily detectable for the presence of small solid particles.

Note 2:

The protective coat shall stand a minimum of 256 revolutions to grade 4 on gray scale (1-5) when tested on SANA rub fastness tester for both dry and wet rubbing.

A-14 Rolling – The process of subjecting heavy leather to the action of smooth brass or gun metal solid cylinder which moves on the grain surface of the leather under considerable pressure. The action makes the surface smooth end stiffens the feel. Light leathers may be same times rolled with a little pressure with the object of smoothening the grain surface but not stiffening the feel.

A-15 Setting – The process of stretching cut the leather to remove growth and fold mark as well as any coarseness of the grain thereby making the leather surface flat and smooth.

A-16 Shaving – A mechanical operation of reducing the substance of leather to uniform thickness by scrapping off layers from flesh or grain side.

A-17. Snuffing – The process of lightly buffing the grain side of leather usually done by the buffing machine, with visible evidence of removal of grain.

A-18 Staking/Boarding – The process of glazing and stretching the leather to separate fibres sticking together and thus making it soft, is staking. Boarding the leather consists in working up a grain pattern by means of a cork board or by machine. The leather is also broken up and softened by boarding.

A-19 Stuffing/Currying – Impregnation/incorporation of oils, fats, greases and waxes in leather to give it increased tensile strength, flexibility and water resistant properties.

A-20 Suede Nap – an operation to produce a velvety nap on the flesh side by buffing, using different grits of emery paper.

A-21 In case of burnishable leather, the coat will be examined by adopting the following method;

Note 3

Any deficiency in the degree of mechanical operations shall not be a disqualification except in the case of Shaving *A-16), Snuffing (A-17), Buffing (A-1) and suede Nap (A-20).