December 1st

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 situation. The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts exports of U.S. hides will once again decline in Fiscal Year 2021, as a result of falling global demand for leather. Also, France announced plans to proceed with levying its proposed digital services tax on large tech companies, though the U.S. is expected to retaliate against imported French goods, including leather handbags. Plus, renowned stylist Mike Adler penned a new blogpost for LHCA's Real Leather. Stay Different. campaign. 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 November 19 were 367,100 pieces and of wet blue were 59,500 pieces. Reported shipments of cured hides were 356,700 and of wet blue were 55,400. China was the largest buyer of cured hides and Vietnam was the largest destination for wet blues. See more. For historical data, click here. 
  • U.S. Cattle Slaughter was 564,000 last week, down 15.2 percent from the previous week. Total cattle slaughter in 2020 is 29,293,000, 3.5 percent below 2019 levels. See more.
  • USDA AMS Major Packer Hide Price Report provided prices for seven types of U.S. hides at nine price points with a spread of $8.50 for branded southwest cows to $44 for heavy native steers.  See more.

Industry Updates

  • The University of Northampton Institute for Creative Leather Technologies announced a new 12-week online leather training course, starting January 13, 2021. The course is ideal for those new to the industry and for those looking to improve their skills and increase their knowledge about the leather value chain. The course costs 500 GBP, and is 300 GBP for students. For more information, and to register for the course, contact Marc Gummer. 
  • 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.  

Latest Updates from Real Leather. Stay Different.

adler_so_le

 

In his latest blog, renowned stylist Mike Adler introduces readers to Maria Sole Ferragamo, who repurposes leather into breathtakingly beautiful jewelry. Maria's stunning, innovative craftsmanship is on display here. Also, check out our latest Street Seen issue featuring a young designer from Shanghai, China. Get the latest news from Real Leather. Stay Different. here. And, don't forget to:

 

november_street_seen

 

Other News

  • USDA released its latest agriculture export forecast for Fiscal Year 2021, projecting U.S. agriculture exports will increase nearly eight percent. Although U.S. exports of livestock, poultry and dairy are expected to reach $32.3 billion, exports of U.S. hides and skins are forecast $100 million lower to $900 million, due to weaker global demand for leather and economic turmoil. Read the report here. 
  • France announced it is moving ahead with plans to levy a 3% tax on revenue from digital services in the country, after negotiations at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development failed to yield an acceptable overhaul of the global tax system. The move could trigger retaliation from the U.S., which vowed to apply tariffs on $1.3 billion worth of imported goods from France, including leather handbags and cosmetics. The Trump Administration has not yet announced its retaliatory measures, and it is unclear what an incoming Biden Administration will pursue. More here.  

 

leather pile

 

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.