March 31st

Leather and Hide Weekly

 

cows

 

The Leather and Hide Council of America's (LHCA) Real Leather. Stay Different. campaign has a message for everyone involved in the leather supply chain during the Covid-19 pandemic: Stay Strong. Stay Different. The Real Leather. Stay Different. twitter account shared this message over the weekend: "Sending love and positive thoughts to all leather workers, craftspeople, designers and leather producers out there. These are challenging times but we're sure we can all get through it." LHCA echoes this sentiment and encourages members to share this message. 

LHCA continues to monitor developments related to the Covid-19 pandemic, and is available to support members navigating this rapidly evolving situation. Also, LHCA President Stephen Sothmann joined Farm to Fork to discuss the sustainability of real leather. In addition, LHCA signed onto two transportation-related letters requesting flexibility during the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure essential shipments continue to be delivered across the country. 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 March 19 were 408,800 pieces and of wet blue were 105,000 pieces. Reported shipments of cured hides were 363,100 and of wet blue were 115,400. China was the largest buyer of cured hides and Italy was the largest destination for wet blue. See more. 
  • U.S. Cattle Slaughter was 676,000 last week, up 3.5 percent from the previous week. Total cattle slaughter in 2020 is 8,012,000, 2.6 percent above 2019 levels. See more.
  • USDA AMS Major Packer Hide Price Report provided prices for six types of U.S. hides at six price points with a spread of $1.50 for branded cows to $15 for heavy Texas steers.  See more.

Industry Updates

  • LHCA President Stephen Sothmann joined Darrell Anderson on Farm to Fork to discuss the sustainability of real leather. Listen to their interview here.  
  • The Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC) is holding weekly calls for members with various ports around the U.S. to discuss container availability and other issues. LHCA members are encouraged to join AgTC to participate in the calls. To learn more about AgTC, click here. 
  • In case you missed it, LHCA released its 2019 summary and 2020 outlook of the U.S. hide, skin and leather industry. Read the release here.  
  • For those LHCA members who have not yet completed your membership directory survey, please be sure to do so at your earliest convenience. We will soon be publishing the association's updated membership directory on the new LHCA website, and want to ensure we have the most current information for your business. If you have questions about the survey, please contact Michael Schumpp. 
  • LHCA has decided to hold its Spring Board of Directors Meeting via teleconference/webinar only. The meeting, which was scheduled to take place April 23-24, 2020, in Washington, DC, will no longer be held in-person. LHCA encourages those members who made travel arrangements to attend the in-person meeting to cancel those plans as early as possible to recoup any expenses incurred. LHCA will follow up in the coming weeks with a new schedule of events, including teleconference/webinar details for the Executive Committee, Board of Directors and committee meetings. Most of the meetings will still be held on April 23 and 24, but some committees may convene earlier that week. In the meantime, please contact Stephen Sothmann or Michael Schumpp with any questions about the meeting.
  • Many outdoor and athletic brands are seeking suppliers that are Certified Berry Compliant. If your company is Certified Berry Compliant, please contact Hisham Muhareb at American Events, Inc./The Materials Show with your contact information and a short profile of your company, along with a list of your products. 
  • The APLF-Leather, Materials+ and Fashion Access show, which had been postponed until June 1-3, 2020, in Hong Kong, will now be further postponed, due to concerns regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. Show organizers are considering alternate dates, and we will share more information once it becomes available. 
  • The spring 2020 ANPIC show, scheduled to take place May 20-22 in Leon, Mexico, has been cancelled due to concerns regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. The next ANPIC show will convene October 21-23, 2020, in Leon. More here. 

 

cows

 

Other Trade News

  • LHCA signed onto a coalition letter, which was sent last week to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requesting an extension of the hours-of-service relief to the full food and agricultural supply chain, flexibility on obtaining new restricted agricultural commercial driver’s licenses, assistance keeping truck washouts open and leadership in harmonizing state weight limits for trucks. Read the letter here. 
  • LHCA also signed a second letter requesting that states harmonize the lower end of truck weight limits with other states by increasing truck weights on all U.S. highways and Federal Interstate Highways to a minimum of 88,000 pounds — while respecting bridge and posted seasonal or special road and/or local limitations. Establishing a minimum harmonized weight across the country ensures that essential shipments will not be impeded at state lines. The letter is available here.

Latest Updates from Real Leather. Stay Different.

Leather Catwalk

 

With many people currently spending more time at home, we've compiled a list of leather items to help make the most of these -- sometimes difficult -- times of social distancing indoors. Click here to view our suggestions. Also, the Real Leather. Stay Different. global student design competition continues to ramp up in China, Taiwan and the UK. 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.