May 12

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. New hides and skins monthly trade data through March 2020 is now available, and shows continued declines in exports compared to 2019. Plus, LHCA President Stephen Sothmann will present our ethical duty to use leather during a webinar this Wednesday, May 13. 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 April 30 were 223,500 pieces and of wet blue were 27,000 pieces. Reported shipments of cured hides were 357,100 and of wet blue were 98,800. China was the largest buyer of cured hides and Italy was the largest destination for wet blue. See more. 
  • U.S. Cattle Slaughter was 452,000 last week, up 6.4 percent from the previous week. Total cattle slaughter in 2020 is 11,021,000, 5.8 percent below 2019 levels. See more.
  • USDA AMS Major Packer Hide Price Report provided prices for three types of U.S. hides at three price points with a spread of $9 for branded heifers to $21 for butt branded steers.  See more.

Industry Updates

  • LHCA President Stephen Sothmann will present during the "Understanding raw materials for the tanning industry" webinar, set to take place this Wednesday, May 13, at 9 a.m. ET. The webinar is organized by ILM in association with theSauerReport, and is sponsored by LHCA. Click here to register for the free webinar. 
  • 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.  
  • LHCA is collecting stories from members that are taking steps to make a difference in response to COVID-19 -- companies that are producing face masks, for example, or taking other actions, big or small, in the global fight against the virus. We'll share your stories in upcoming Real Leather. Stay Different. materials. To be featured, send a description of your company's efforts to Michael Schumpp.  
  • LHCA President Stephen Sothmann will present "Our Ethical Duty to Upcycle Cattle Hides from Meat Production," as part of APLF's webinar series. The presentation, which will be moderated by Hidenet's Vera Dordick, will take place June 2, 2020, at 7 a.m. ET (7 p.m. HKT). To register for the free webinar, click here.

 

cows

 

Other Trade News

  • The U.S. and UK last week launched formal trade agreement negotiations. The two countries are currently conducting the first round of negotiations virtually. According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, negotiations will take place at an accelerated pace -- nearly 30 different negotiating groups, covering all aspects of a comprehensive free trade agreement, are meeting concurrently. More information is available here.

Monthly Trade Data

U.S. hides and skins March 2020 export data is now available. Get a summary of the data here.

  • Cured cattle hides exports fell 13 percent in volume and declined 20 percent in value compared to 2019. Download the data here.
  • Wet blue shipments decreased 3 percent in volume and 1 percent in value. Vietnam was the largest buyer by value, totaling more than 34.5 million.
  • Pig skin exports increased 11 percent in volume and 8 percent in value compared to 2019. Download the data here.  

 

Latest Updates from Real Leather. Stay Different.

mulberry tote

 

Mulberry has done it again with its launch of a 100 percent sustainable bag made principally of leather. Check out the stylish, environmentally-friendly bag 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.