June 2nd

Leather and Hide Weekly

 

stay-strong

 

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. In light of the recent effort in China to impose national security legislation on Hong Kong, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week announced the U.S. no longer considers Hong Kong autonomous from China -- a decision with both political and trade implications. Meanwhile, in Italy, the leather industry secured an important victory, as the country's government adopted a regulation, which precludes synthetics and other materials not derived from animals from being labelled leather. Plus, LHCA will now hold its spring Board of Directors meeting on June 17 and non-Board members are welcome to participate as observers. 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 May 21 were 433,000 pieces and of wet blue were 122,900 pieces. Reported shipments of cured hides were 447,900 and of wet blue were 89,600. China was the largest buyer of cured hides and Italy was the largest destination for wet blue. See more. 
  • U.S. Cattle Slaughter was 524,000 last week, down 5.6 percent from the previous week. Total cattle slaughter in 2020 is 12,657,000, 6.9 percent below 2019 levels. See more.
  • USDA AMS Major Packer Hide Price Report provided prices for five types of U.S. hides at five price points with a spread of $0.75 for branded southwest cows to $8.50 for branded heifers.  See more.

Industry Updates

  • The LHCA Spring Board of Directors meeting will take place via teleconference and webinar Wednesday, June 17, 2020, from 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. ET. LHCA staff are currently working to finalize an agenda for the meeting. LHCA members who are not on the Board of Directors, but are interested in participating as meeting observers, should contact Stephen Sothmann or Michael Schumpp to register.   
  • LHCA responded to a piece in ILM titled "The "death spiral" for meat in diets," taking issue with several of the author's misleading claims about the broader livestock and meat industries. LHCA President Stephen Sothmann, in his response, underscores the importance of fairly and accurately representing the livestock and meat industries, affirming their significance as critical supply chain partners to the leather industry. Sothmann details ways in which the livestock and meat industries both in the U.S. and around the world proactively, and emphatically, respond to detractors, particularly in the areas of nutrition, sustainability, and labor. Read LHCA's response here. 
  • UNIC, the organization representing Italian tanners, announced the Italian government on May 28 approved a new regulation regarding the proper use of the term "leather." Specifically, the regulation expressly forbids the use of the words "leather" and "hide" to identify materials that are not of animal origin. Consequently, inaccurate terms used to label synthetics, including "vegan leather" and "faux leather," are prohibited. The regulation is pending publication in the Italian Official Gazette. More here.    
  • For the first time in the show's history, the ANPIC spring exhibition will be held digitally, June 11-12, 2020, from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CT each day. The digital platform facilitates business by promoting direct contact between buyers and suppliers. More than 170 companies have registered to participate. More information is available here. 
  • 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

  • The Trump Administration last week decertified Hong Kong's autonomy from China under U.S. law, a decision that could result in the loss of Hong Kong's special trading status with the U.S. President Donald Trump subsequently said his administration would take steps to revoke Hong Kong's preferential treatment as a separate customs and travel territory. Hong Kong has long enjoyed exemptions from U.S. rules on China, yet such a move by the Administration could subject Hong Kong's exports to the same U.S. tariffs currently levied on imports from China. President Trump stopped short of withdrawing the U.S. from its recent phase one trade agreement with China. Read more.  

Latest Updates from Real Leather. Stay Different.

adler real leather

 

Renowned fashion stylist Mike Adler, who has worked to create enviable looks for some of the world's biggest stars, is joining Real Leather. Stay Different. as a contributing editor. Each month, Mike will share the inside scoop about how the fashion industry is incorporating and celebrating leather. Read more about his work here. The Real Leather. Stay Different. Global Student Design Competition  also continues to heat up in China and Taiwan. Get all your design competition news at chooserealleather.com. Plus, check out our video here showcasing the first round of competition in China.    

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.