Greek fur industry on a path to recovery in 2026 due to high demand from China
The Greek fur industry has entered a recovery trajectory since the beginning of 2026, driven by a surge in wholesale demand from Chinese buyers following the highly challenging conditions of 2025.
The sector is also expressing strong expectations for the upcoming 51st Kastoria International Fur Fair, which is expected to be even more outward-looking, while also marked by a shift toward new designs and color palettes.
As Apostolos Tsoukas, President of the Kastoria Fur Association and the Hellenic Fur Federation, noted, since January—and largely due to the particularly harsh winter experienced in China—Chinese buyers are effectively “purchasing whatever is available,” as domestic production is insufficient to meet internal demand.
Indicative of the market’s rebound was the recent (March 2026) fur auction in Helsinki, Finland, where a clear recovery in sector activity was recorded. A total of 3.4 million pelts were sold (compared to 2.6 million in March 2025), with prices posting a significant increase. China was the dominant market, with notable participation from South Korea, Turkey and Greece.
According to Tsoukas, Chinese consumers appear to show limited preference for synthetic or plastic-based products, expressing optimism that a similar resurgence in demand for natural fur may also emerge in European markets.
Regarding the upcoming 51st Kastoria International Fur Fair, he emphasized that, in close cooperation with Enterprise Greece, an extensive hosted buyers program will be implemented, targeting four key markets: Japan, South Korea, Kazakhstan and China. Additionally, approximately ten days ago, Kastoria’s fur industry maintained a strong presence at the Chicago Fur Fair in the United States.
Furriers in Western Macedonia are optimistic that the upward demand trend from China—and beyond—will continue in the forthcoming fur fairs in Finland, scheduled for June and September. They view 2026 as a year of restart for the sector, notably even in the absence of the Russian market.
