January 19th
Leather and Hide Weekly
LHCA last week successfully launched a new, free webinar series with a discussion about Mindhive, which deploys solutions that bring greater efficiency and transparency to operational processes at tanneries, and Leather Naturally's METCHA digital marketing campaign, which aims to promote leather's beauty to younger generations. Also, LHCA's Real Leather. Stay Different. global student design competition has picked up steam in China, as the contest enters its final stages. Plus, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative decided not to recommend specific actions against imports from Vietnam, despite conceding the country's currency practices hinder U.S. commerce. More on these and other topics below.
Weekly Hides and Skins Stats
- Net sales of cured cattle hides reported for the period ending January 7, 2021, were 340,400 pieces and net sales of wet blues were 140,000 pieces. Reported shipments of cured hides were 357,800 and of wet blues were 130,100. China was the largest buyer of cured hides and Italy was the largest destination for wet blues. See more. For historical data, click here.
- U.S. Cattle Slaughter was 651,000 last week, unchanged from the previous week. Total cattle slaughter in 2021 is 1,369,000 head. 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 $12.50 for branded southwest cows to $31 for Colorado branded steers. See more.
- The USDA price report is a snapshot of the market. For real time hide market prices, please consult our friends at Hidenet, The Jacobsen, The Maxfield Report, or The Sauer Report.
Industry Updates
- LHCA successfully held its first in a new, free series of webinars last week. The engaging, informative webinar featured speakers from Mindhive and Leather Naturally. A recording is available here.
- The most recent leg of LHCA's Real Leather. Stay Different. global student design competition is underway in mainland China, as finalists have successfully created samples of their designs that celebrate the sustainability, versatility, durability and beauty of leather. A prestigious panel of judges will select winners from 54 competitors on February 23, 2021. Winners will be honored at a product demonstration and awards ceremony, jointly hosted by LHCA and China Leather Industry Association, in July 2021. The competition in mainland China attracted more than 500 design entries from students at seven universities. Learn more here.
- APLF is holding a virtual meeting beginning this week through February 4, 2021, to convene exhibitors and buyers in the Greater China, India and Africa/Middle East regions. LHCA Vice President for China/Asia Jane Li and Associate Director of International Programs Michael Schumpp will provide updates on the U.S. leather industry and will discuss LHCA's activities in several webinars across the multi-week program. As a reminder, this virtual APLF event does not replace the annual trade show, which will take place July 5-7, 2021, in Hong Kong. To register to attend the virtual event, click here. Webinar registration is available here.
LHCA Webinar Series
Latest Updates from Real Leather. Stay Different.
As consumers seek to invest in products that receive high marks for sustainability, without skimping on style, one Swedish company does not disappoint. ARKET, a clothes, accessories and homeware brand, has shunned fast fashion, choosing instead to create accessible products that are durable, visually striking and eco-friendly. It's no surprise that leather features heavily in the company's collection. Check out some of ARKET's most sought-after offerings here. Get the latest news from Real Leather. Stay Different. here. And, don't forget to:
Other News
- The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) concluded that Vietnam's acts, policies and practices related to currency valuation, including the country's excessive foreign exchange market interventions and other actions, are unreasonable and burden or restrict U.S. commerce. Despite these findings, USTR decided against pursuing specific trade remedy actions at this time, instead declaring the agency will continue to evaluate the issue. The U.S. apparel and footwear industry, along with other business groups, recently urged President Donald Trump against imposing tariffs on imports from Vietnam over the country's currency and timber practices. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative initiated Section 301 investigations into Vietnam's currency policy and timber industry in October 2020, after which the U.S. Treasury labelled Vietnam a currency manipulator in December 2020. U.S. businesses and organizations requested the U.S. forgo tariffs and instead implement more targeted tools to hold Vietnam accountable, warning U.S. agricultural exports will bear the burden of retaliation. More here.
U.S. Drought Monitor - January 2021
Storms continued to take aim at the Pacific Northwest this week, bringing multiple rounds of heavy rain along the coast and lower elevations, and snow to the mountains. Many locations along the coast have measured rain nearly every day this year. While the heaviest rains fell outside of most of the region's current drought areas, parts of western Oregon have received 125% to 300% of normal precipitation since the beginning of the year, helping to chip away at long-term drought conditions. A winter storm brought snow to the Rockies and eastern New Mexico before moving eastward. Several locations from far southeastern New Mexico into western, central and eastern Texas, northern Louisiana and Mississippi were blanketed by at least 6 inches of snow. Dryness continued to deteriorate conditions in locations such as Southern California, south-central Oregon, north-central Kansas and south Texas. In all, the percent area of the Lower 48 experiencing moderate drought or worse stands at 44.85%, down from 45.76% last week.
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.