August 18th
Leather and Hide Weekly
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. The U.S.-China Phase One Trade Agreement marked an important milestone this past weekend, reaching six months since it took effect. Also, "Real Leather. Stay Different." Global Student Design Competition is nearing its end in Taiwan, with an Awards Ceremony to honor the talented finalists scheduled for September in Taipei. LHCA member company representatives in Taiwan are invited to attend. Plus, the latest Leather Loves blog post is now available. More on these and other topics below.
We hope you stay safe and healthy.
Weekly Hides and Skins Stats
- Net sales of cured cattle hides reported for the period ending August 6 were 429,700 pieces and of wet blue were 134,900 pieces. Reported shipments of cured hides were 471,600 and of wet blue were 96,600. China was the largest buyer of both cured hides and wet blues. See more. For historical data, click here.
- U.S. Cattle Slaughter was 640,000 last week, up 1.1 percent from the previous week. Total cattle slaughter in 2020 is 19,685,000, 5.1 percent below 2019 levels. See more.
- USDA AMS Major Packer Hide Price Report provided prices for six types of U.S. hides at seven price points with a spread of $1.50 for branded southwest cows to $25 for butt 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
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories announced the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 in mink at two farms in Utah. These are also the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 in mink in the U.S. USDA noted there is currently no evidence that animals, including mink, play a significant role in spreading the virus to humans. Read more here.
- The "Real Leather. Stay Different." Global Student Design Competition is nearing its completion in Taiwan. Twenty-three students, who were selected to compete in the final round, are now transforming their designs into product samples made using U.S. hides and leather. A panel of judges, featuring brand designers, fashion designers, editors from Taiwan's fashion magazines and leather experts will review and select competition winners on September 8, 2020. The public will also have the chance to weigh in through an online vote on Facebook. LHCA and the Taiwan International Leather Association are working together to organize the Design Exhibition and Awards Ceremony, planned for September 7 and 8, respectively. Both events will take place at Taipei 101. Local government and industry association representatives, media, tanners and leather manufacturers, students and educators will be invited to both events to celebrate the sustainability, versatility, durability and beauty of real U.S. leather. Click here for more information. While travel restrictions will not allow LHCA staff to attend the event, all LHCA member representatives in Taiwan are invited to join the celebration. If your company's representatives would like to attend the event, email Jane Li.
- 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.
Other Trade News
- The U.S. and China have delayed a review of their phase one trade agreement, initially slated for August 15 -- six months after the entry into force of the pact. The review was reportedly postponed to allow China more time to meet purchases of U.S. goods outlined in the agreement. China's imports of U.S. agricultural and manufactured goods, energy and services are behind the pace needed to meet the deal's first-year target increase of $77 billion over 2017 purchases. No new date for the compliance review has been finalized. More here.
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced that imported goods produced in Hong Kong will now have to be marked with "China" as their origin. Companies have until September 25, 2020, to comply with the new import regulations, stemming from an executive order, issued last month by President Donald Trump, which removes U.S. preferential treatment of H0ng Kong as a separate customs territory under the U.S.-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992. This action makes Hong Kong-origin goods subject to the same tariff rates and rules applied to imports from China.
- The U.S. and UK recently concluded their third round of free trade agreement negotiations on August 7. This readout summarizes the progress made during the negotiations. Both sides are expected to exchange their first market access offers in advance of the next negotiation round, which will be held in September.
Monthly Drought Monitor - August, 2020
As Tropical Storm Isaias made its way up the east coast, many areas in the Northeast were beneficiaries of good precipitation amounts, but others missed out completely. In typical summer fashion, rains were hit and miss across the country, with the West, the southern Plains and most areas of the South mainly being missed. Mixed precipitation was recorded through the Plains and Midwest as well as portions of the Southeast. A strong derecho ripped across the Midwest on August 10th with over 100 mph straight line winds causing damage to crops and property. Temperatures were cooler than normal over much of the Midwest and High Plains, with portions of Missouri and Illinois 6-8 degrees below normal for the week. Temperatures were near normal along much of the east cost and 6-8 degrees above normal over west Texas and into New Mexico.
Latest Updates from Real Leather. Stay Different.
The latest post in the Leather Loves series, written by renowned stylist Mike Adler, celebrates the rise of French-Austrian designer Marina Hoermanseder, whose unique fashion aesthetic is inspired by orthopedic supports. Yes, you heard that right: orthopedic supports. Check out Hoermanseder's striking leather creations here. Also, get the latest Real Leather. Stay Different. Global Student Design Competition news here. And, don't forget to:
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.