May 11th

Leather and Hide Weekly

 

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May is shaping up to be a busy month on the trade front, as concerns continue to mount over shipping challenges hindering the U.S. agricultural sector, including hides, skin, and leather exports. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai will appear before committees in the House and Senate this week to answer questions related to President Biden's 2021 trade agenda. Plus, the latest hides, skin and leather monthly trade data through March 2021 is now available, with salted hides exports showing particularly strong volume and value growth compared to the same period in 2020. 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 April 29, 2021, were 275,700 pieces and net sales of wet blue were 35,400 pieces. Reported shipments of cured hides were 358,100 and of wet blue were 130,500. China was the largest buyer of cured hides and Italy was the largest destination for wet blue. See more. For historical data, click here. 
  • U.S. Cattle Slaughter was 638,000 last week, a decrease of 1.7 percent from the previous week. Total cattle slaughter in 2021 is 11,592,000 head, up 4.8 percent from the same period in 2020. See more.
  • USDA AMS Major Packer Hide Price Report provided prices for seven types of U.S. hides at eight price points with a spread of $22 for branded southwest cows to $54 for heavy native steers. See more.

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Industry Updates

  • The Leather Research Laboratory at the University of Cincinnati is hiring a senior research associate, who will be responsible for coordinating research studies involving leather tanning (novel tanning agents/processes), assist in the root cause analysis of industry problems (generally cured hides & wet blue/wet white hides), help formulate specifications and recommend test protocols to address field complaints experienced by clients and assist with the creation and presentation of the educational content that the department offers. Applicants are required to have a Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field and 3+ years tannery experience. We offer an attractive compensation package, including base salary and excellent benefits (e.g., retirement, medical/dental, tuition remission), and relocation assistance, if required. The University of Cincinnati, as a multi-national and culturally diverse university, is committed to providing an inclusive, equitable and diverse place of learning and employment. As part of a complete job application, you will be asked to include a Contribution to Diversity and Inclusion statement. The University of Cincinnati is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer/Minority/Female/Disability/Veteran. For more information and to apply, click here. 
  • Halley Fur & Leather Ltd., located in Istanbul, Turkey, seeks salted hides and skins exports from the U.S. to supply the growing Turkish leather and gelatin industries. For more information about this opportunity, contact Ali Kadir Cankurtaran. 

Latest Updates from Real Leather. Stay Different.

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It's not often a company goes into competition with itself, but that's exactly what UK luxury leather goods maker Mulberry has done by partnering with Vestiaire Collective's "Brand Approved" program to sell second-hand, reconditioned bags and other leather products. Mulberry began selling pre-loved leather items last year in select UK stores as part of the company's "Mulberry Exchange Circular Economy Program," but the Vestiaire Collective partnership will increase Mulberry's reach by providing an online, worldwide platform for their previously owned leather products. Check out our latest blog post to learn more about Mulberry's quest to rank among the most sustainable leather goods companies globally. Get the latest news from Real Leather. Stay Different. here. And, don't forget to:

 

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Monthly Trade Data

U.S. hides and skins March 2021 export data is now available. Get a summary of the data here. 

  • Cured cattle hides exports rose 53 percent in volume and 8 percent in value compared to 2020. Download the data here.
  • Wet blue shipments decreased 13 percent in volume and 18 percent in value. Vietnam was the largest buyer by value, totaling more than $27 million.
  • Pig skin exports decreased 31 percent in volume and 24 percent in value compared to 2020. Download the data here.

 

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Other News

  • In remarks delivered last week to the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association, Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Michael Khouri stressed the need to address the imbalance between U.S. port operating hours and ports in other countries to relieve congestion, particularly during times of high vessel traffic. Read Khouri's remarks here. 
  • U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai will appear this week for hearings before both the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee to discuss President Joe Biden's 2021 Trade Policy Agenda. Ambassador Tai is expected to address questions related to the U.S.-China phase one trade agreement, among other issues. In previous comments, Tai said she plans to engage with Chinese negotiators in the near term to press U.S. interests and assess the country's performance in the phase-one deal.

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.