July 29th

Leather and Hide Weekly

The Leather and Hide Council of America (LHCA) continues to monitor developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and is available to support members navigating this rapidly evolving situation. Also, China has purportedly instituted a new regulation requiring raw materials imports to undergo nucleic acid testing to determine the presence of COVID-19. LHCA is working to obtain more information about the requirement and its potential impact on U.S. hides and skins exports to China, though at this point, the requirement appears to mostly target food imports. Plus, the "Real Leather. Stay Different." Global Student Design Competition is nearing its end in Taiwan, with an Award Ceremony to honor the talented finalists scheduled for September in Taipei. More on these and other topics below.

We hope you stay safe and healthy.

 

cows

 

Weekly Hides and Skins Stats 

  • Net sales of cured cattle hides reported for the period ending July 16 were 429,900 pieces and of wet blue were 157,800 pieces. Reported shipments of cured hides were 384,900 and of wet blue were 82,000. China was the largest buyer of both cured hides and wet blues. See more. For historical data, click here. 
  • U.S. Cattle Slaughter was 646,000 last week, down 0.6 percent from the previous week. Total cattle slaughter in 2020 is 17,786,000, 5.4 percent below 2019 levels. See more.
  • USDA AMS Major Packer Hide Price Report provided prices for five types of U.S. hides at six price points with a spread of $4 for southwest dairy cows to $25 for heavy native steers.  See more.

Industry Updates

 

  • The "Real Leather. Stay Different." Global Student Design Competition is moving forward in Taiwan. Twenty-three students, who were selected to compete in the final round, are now transforming their designs into product samples made using U.S. hides and leather. A panel of judges, featuring brand designers, fashion designers, editors from Taiwan's fashion magazines and leather experts will review and select competition winners on September 8, 2020. The public will also have the chance to weigh in through an online vote on Facebook. LHCA and the Taiwan International Leather Association are working together to organize the Design Exhibition and Award Ceremony, planned for September 7 and 8, respectively. Both events will take place at Taipei 101. Local government and industry association representatives, media, tanneries and leather manufacturers, students and educators will be invited to both events to celebrate the sustainability, versatility, durability and beauty of real U.S. leather. Click here for more information. 
  • The North American Meat Institute continues to share guidance documents and other resources for industry on its COVID-19 response webpage. The page includes the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding face coverings, employee screening and positive test result protocol, among other pertinent resources. CDC and the Department of Labor issued guidance specific to the meat and poultry processing industry in order to facilitate ongoing operations and support the food supply, while also mitigating the risk of spreading COVID-19. The guidance is available here.  

 

cows

 

Other Trade News

  • China's National Health Commission (NHC) last week issued a notice establishing additional COVID-19 guidelines for meat processing companies. The notice requires meat processing companies to properly control the source of imported materials and establish a complete traceability mechanism for these products. The notice further states that in addition to certificate requests and purchase inspection records, imported raw materials must have a nucleic acid test certificate before entering a processing facility. China has clarified that certificates issued by any legal provincial or municipal nucleic acid testing institution will comply with NHC's requirement. The nucleic acid tests do not have to be preformed in the country of origin; tests conducted at a port of entry in China are acceptable for domestic processors. Importers may also conduct the tests themselves. U.S. officials are in contact with Beijing to receive clarification regarding this new regulation and to determine its scope, including whether it is being applied to U.S. hides and skins imports. 

Monthly Trade Data

  • Monthly Livestock Slaughter Report is now available. June 2020 cattle slaughter totaled 2.88 million head, up 2 percent from June 2019. Get a summary of the data here.
  • Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market as of July 1, 2020, totaled 11.4 million head. The inventory was slightly below July 1, 2019. Read the report here.  

Cattle on Feed - As of July 1, 2020

cows

Latest Updates from Real Leather. Stay Different.

leather loves mike adler

 

Renowned stylist Mike Adler has penned two new blog posts as part of his Leather Loves series for Real Leather. Stay Different. These must-read posts chronicle Adler's work with corsetiere Sian Hoffman and British leatherwear design and production company Whitaker Malem. Check out these entries here. Also, get the latest Real Leather. Stay Different. Global Student Design Competition news here. And, don't forget to:

Leather News

Each week, we will share relevant leather news below. Some of the articles may cover our products, and the industry, unfavorably, but we still believe it is important to share the different ways in which leather is presented in the media. If you find articles that you would like to see included, please send them to mschumpp@meatinstitute.org.