A temporary fact, I think, because euro is not a currency defended by the community system to favour imports but is a reference currency, has its own line of development and will unavoidably recover. The tanner is suffering from the very strong price increase of raw materials that from 80 cents has exceeded one dollar, depending on the origin. Moreover there are the latent ones, which do not appear in the price list but are effective, concerning the new products purchased, the machines, the plants, the services for sure cost controlling is a serious problem for the tanner and competition is not a joke. The buyer is very well informed, has fresh news, with a mouse shift he moves from the American to the Asian markets going through Italy, he decides, seldom on the basis of preexisting relations. This is right what is making the difference among the companies.
Someone can amortize, establish very long times, act gently though keeping a good defence.
But others are obliged to behave nervously and can be more easily attacked by the competitors because they have less financial resources or think it illogic to go on working with certain profits. There are some overfinanced companies that refuse a certain business or take up consenting attitudes, turn the costs to the buyer every time, accept the consequences on the market. It is clear that everybody's life would be easier if the whole district tanners, chemical manufacturers, machine and other plants manufacturers behaved in this way. In truth, we are all waiting for someone to move, to make the relation with the customer unstable in order to introduce himself. Nevertheless the sector doesn't seem short of work.