March 23rd

Leather and Hide Weekly

 

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LHCA continues to actively engage Congress and the new U.S. administration on pertinent agriculture trade policies and issues. To that end, LHCA last week signed several letters sent to key Biden Administration officials and Members of Congress regarding trade with Mexico, surface transportation and tariffs. Also, APLF Hong Kong has postponed this year's trade show from July to November to account for ongoing COVID-related restrictions. Plus, LHCA announced additional details about its spring Board and Committee meetings, along with links to register for each session. More on these and other topics below.

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Weekly Hides and Skins Stats 

  • Net sales of cured cattle hides reported for the period ending March 11, 2021, were 557,900 pieces and net sales of wet blues were 94,100 pieces. Reported shipments of cured hides were 364,300 and of wet blues were 99,400. China was the largest buyer of both cured hides and wet blues. See more. For historical data, click here. 
  • U.S. Cattle Slaughter was 624,000 last week, a decrease of 3.6 percent from the previous week. Total cattle slaughter in 2021 is 7,099,000 head, down 3.3 percent from the same period in 2020. 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 $22 for branded southwest cows to $42 for butt branded steers.  See more.

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Industry Updates

  • Save the date! LHCA will be holding its spring meeting, including Board of Directors and Committee meetings, April 12-14, 2021. The meetings will be held virtually using the Cisco Webex platform. All LHCA members are welcome to register for the meeting at no charge. Please note, each session requires separate registration, and the links are provided below. The meetings are restricted to LHCA members only. A draft agenda is available here.
  • The organizers of APLF-Leather, Materials+ and Fashion Access announced the annual trade show will be rescheduled from July 5-7, 2021 to November 17-19, 2021, due to ongoing compulsory quarantine regulations in Hong Kong that now extend through September 30, 2021. In the meantime, APLF is preparing to launch a B2B networking marketplace in April. More information is available here. LHCA will continue to monitor the situation in Hong Kong and update members accordingly.    
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Latest Updates from Real Leather. Stay Different.

This week's Real Leather. Stay Different. blog post spotlights Tatum Diamond, a luxury handbag and accessories designer who has turned her love for bags and her passion for the ocean into a successful, sustainable venture. So what's her secret to turning the tide on ocean waste? You guessed it: leather, a natural, durable, sustainable byproduct of the meat and dairy industries. Get the latest news from Real Leather. Stay Different. here. And, don't forget to:

 

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Cattle on Feed - As of March 1, 2021

  • Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market as of March 1, 2021, totaled 12 million head. The inventory was 2 percent above March 1, 2020. Read the report here. 

 

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Other News

  • The U.S. Senate last week unanimously confirmed Katherine Tai to serve as the U.S. Trade Representative in the Biden Administration. Her nomination garnered strong bipartisan support, reflected in the final confirmation vote of 98-0. Meanwhile, LHCA joined more than 160 trade associations in congratulating Tai on her historic confirmation and encouraging her to lift existing tariffs that are crippling American businesses and workers. "Lifting the additional tariffs is a simple, straightforward way to provide an economic boost to American families, American workers and American businesses and to help ensure a successful economic recovery," the letter states. Read more.  
  • LHCA signed a letter sent last week to Members of Congress calling for agriculture and food sector priorities to be included in future surface transportation legislation. The letter provides specific recommendations to create a more environmentally responsible and economically viable freight transportation system to keep American agriculture competitive. For instance, the organizations offer suggestions to ensure that exemptions from hours-of-service rules provide flexibility for ag haulers and farm supply transporters, among other recommendations. The letter is available here.
  • LHCA joined 26 other leading food and agriculture associations in sending a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Tai outlining growing concerns over the rapidly deteriorating U.S.-Mexico trade relationship. Leading concerns highlighted by the group include meat industry market access issues and new front-of-pack labeling regulations, among other concerns. Read the letter here.   

 

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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.