May 26th

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. Despite increasing calls by some to scrap the new U.S.-China phase one trade deal, U.S. trade officials have touted the progress made, particularly on Chinese purchases of U.S. agricultural products. Meanwhile, China recently provided additional information about its tariff exclusion process for qualifying U.S. imports, which USDA detailed in a new report. Also, LHCA President Steve Sothmann will speak about our ethical duty to upcycle cattle hides as part of APLF's webinar series. Plus, you can now register for the spring ANPIC show in Leon, Mexico, which will take place digitally this June. 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 May 14 were 354,100 pieces and of wet blue were 19,800 pieces. Reported shipments of cured hides were 417,000 and of wet blue were 62,000. China was the largest buyer of cured hides and Italy was the largest destination for wet blue. See more. 
  • U.S. Cattle Slaughter was 555,000 last week, up 11.2 percent from the previous week. Total cattle slaughter in 2020 is 12,113,000, 6.9 percent below 2019 levels. See more.
  • USDA AMS Major Packer Hide Price Report provided prices for 10 types of U.S. hides at 11 price points with a spread of $0.75 for branded southwest cows to $24.50 for heavy native steers.  See more.

Industry Updates

 

  • LHCA President Stephen Sothmann next week will present "Our Ethical Duty to Upcycle Cattle Hides from Meat Production," as part of APLF's webinar series. The presentation, which will be moderated by Hidenet's Vera Dordick, will take place June 2, 2020, at 7 a.m. ET (7 p.m. HKT). To register for the free webinar, click here. 
  • For the first time in the show's history, the ANPIC spring exhibition will be held digitally, June 11-12, 2020, from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CT each day. The digital platform facilitates business by promoting direct contact between buyers and suppliers. More than 170 companies have registered to participate. More information is available 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.  

 

cows

 

Other Trade News

  • As we previously reported, China continues to accept tariff exemption requests for hundreds of U.S. imports, including U.S. hides and skins. USDA last week published an updated report, available here, detailing the latest tariff exclusion process. Only Chinese importers may apply to receive tariff exemption using a product's eight-digit HS code. LHCA members are encouraged to work with their Chinese importers and customers to apply for the tariff exclusion. Chinese importers are required to apply monthly to receive relief from tariffs.

Monthly Trade Data

  • Monthly Livestock Slaughter Report is now available. April 2020 cattle slaughter totaled 2.24 million head, down 21 percent from April 2019. Get a summary of the data here. 
  • Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market as of May 1, 2020, totaled 11.2 million head. The inventory was 5 percent below May 1, 2019. Read the report here. 

Cattle on Feed - As of May 1, 2020

cows

Latest Updates from Real Leather. Stay Different.

Leather Shanghai Street

 

Did you know that with the right kind of love, maintenance and care, leather products can last almost indefinitely? Repair or repurpose, not replace, is the new call of sustainability. The Restory, a high-end leather goods restoration service in the United Kingdom, is dedicated to prolonging the life of your favorite leather pieces. The Real Leather. Stay Different. Global Student Design Competition  also continues to heat up in China and Taiwan. Get all your design competition news at chooserealleather.com. Plus, check out our video here showcasing the first round of competition in China.        

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.