August 25th

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 "Real Leather. Stay Different." Global Student Design Competition is nearing its end in Taiwan, as the talented finalists have successfully completed their product samples, which feature U.S. hides and leather. Online voting is currently underway, and an Awards Ceremony is scheduled for September in Taipei, where a panel of prominent Taiwanese fashion designers and brand representatives, among others, will select the final winner. LHCA member company representatives in Taiwan are invited to attend. Plus, LHCA signed a coalition letter addressing congestion issues at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. More on these and other topics below.

We hope you stay safe and healthy.

 

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Weekly Hides and Skins Stats 

  • Net sales of cured cattle hides reported for the period ending August 13 were 640,300 pieces and of wet blue were 258,700 pieces. Reported shipments of cured hides were 478,800 and of wet blue were 98,000. China was the largest buyer of both cured hides and wet blues. See more. For historical data, click here. 
  • U.S. Cattle Slaughter was 652,000 last week, up 1.9 percent from the previous week. Total cattle slaughter in 2020 is 20,337,000, 5 percent below 2019 levels. See more.
  • USDA AMS Major Packer Hide Price Report provided prices for four types of U.S. hides at six price points with a spread of $11 for heavy Texas steers to $28 for heavy native steers.  See more.

Industry Updates

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  • The "Real Leather. Stay Different." Global Student Design Competition is nearing its completion in Taiwan. LHCA sent a release earlier this morning announcing that the twenty-three students, who were selected to compete in the final round of competition in Taiwan, have successfully completed their product samples, which use U.S. hides and leather. A video tracing the competition is available here. 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 is currently invited to select their favorite product samples 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.
  • Myron Bowling Auctioneers will conduct an industrial auction via webcast on September 28, 2020, for equipment from a leather tannery and goods manufacturer. For more information about the items available at auction, and to participate, click here.
  • 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.  

 

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Other Trade News

  • LHCA signed a letter, prepared by the Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC), addressing congestion at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The organizations, in the letter, press the ports to encourage marine terminals to facilitate dual transactions -- which would allow a truck that brings a loaded or empty container into a marine terminal to leave the terminal with a loaded import container or an empty. Permitting dual transactions could reduce congestion at ports, according to the letter. 

Monthly Trade Data

  • Monthly Livestock Slaughter Report is now available. July 2020 cattle slaughter totaled 2.92 million head, down 1 percent from July 2019. Get a summary of the data here.  
  • Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market as of August 1, 2020, totaled 11.3 million head. The inventory was 2 percent above August 1, 2019. Read the report here.

Cattle on Feed - As of August 1, 2020

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Latest Updates from Real Leather. Stay Different.

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What does your personality reveal about your personal style? Take our new quiz to see what your wardrobe reveals about you. 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.