November 3rd
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. Today, November 3, voters in the U.S. will participate in federal, state and local elections, with implications for trade and agricultural policy. Also, the International Council of Tanners announced the global leather industry is open to engaging with the Sustainable Apparel Coalition to address Higg Index inaccuracies. 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 October 22 were 417,100 pieces and of wet blue were 59,600 pieces. Reported shipments of cured hides were 457,600 and of wet blue were 185,900. China was the largest buyer of cured hides and the largest destination for wet blues. See more. For historical data, click here.
- U.S. Cattle Slaughter was 638,000 last week, down 0.8 percent from the previous week. Total cattle slaughter in 2020 is 26,752,000, 3.8 percent below 2019 levels. See more.
- USDA AMS Major Packer Hide Price Report provided prices for nine types of U.S. hides at 11 price points with a spread of $7 for branded southwest cows to $35.50 for heavy native 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 International Council of Tanners (ICT) yesterday said that it remains open to engaging with the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) to address and improve Higg Materials Sustainability Index (MSI) inaccuracies. The ICT, however, expressed disappointment that SAC will not suspend the MSI while necessary improvements are made to the scoring of natural materials, like leather. Specifically, ICT took issue with SAC's ongoing promotion of incorrect environmental impact values for leather, asserting they will continue to erroneously damage the reputation of the leather value chain. Instead, ICT intends to work with SAC to identify the most appropriate data and metrics for leather. The ICT's statement follows a recent global leather industry letter calling on SAC to suspend its Higg Index score for leather.
- The second draft of the Leather Impact Accelerator 1.0 is now available for public review and feedback. Public comments on the draft are due December 1, 2020. The Leather Impact Accelerator is a benchmarking program that recognizes and rewards best practices in the leather value chain. It uses benchmarks to address animal welfare and deforestation/conversion-free at the farm level, to determine the societal and environmental impacts of leather processing and t0 set expectations for traceability. To learn more and submit comments, click here.
- The Center for the Brazilian Tanning Industry (CICB), in coordination with the National Wildlife Federation, this fall convened a new webinar series focused on sustainability and the future of the leather sector. The final installment in the "Leather Business and the Future Consumer" series will take place this Friday, November 6. The series examines sustainability as it relates to the fashion, furniture and automotive industries. Registration is free, and more information is available here.
- NSW Leather Co., the largest leather wholesaler in Australia, is looking for U.S. suppliers of hair-on products, primarily deer skins (chital deer and axis deer). More information about the company can be found here and here. Interested parties should contact Ian Fischl.
- 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.
Have you ever wondered what's involved in executing a flawless fashion photo shoot? Have you thought about recreating that sought-after look, but were unsure how to assemble it? Well, you're in luck. In his latest post for Real Leather. Stay Different., renowned stylist Mike Adler takes you behind the scenes of a recent shoot with Kilian and Ellen Von Unwerth, and shows you exactly how to look like what you see in a magazine. Here's a hint: he's a big proponent of leather -- and for good reason. Plus, Adler takes a trip down memory lane in his recent MET Gala piece. Get the latest news from Real Leather. Stay Different. here. And, don't forget to:
Other Trade News
- The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) recently detected organic cotton fraud in India, following an investigation that uncovered substantial documentary evidence. Textile Exchange worked collaboratively with GOTS and notified its certification bodies of the fraudulent transaction certification numbers. Textile Exchange and GOTS also banned the companies involved in the fraud, and stripped a certification body of its licensing contract. Read more here.
- The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a report detailing the progress made to date in implementing the agricultural provisions in the U.S.-China Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement. According to the report, the agreement has addressed significant structural barriers in China that have impeded exports of U.S. food and agricultural products. China has also purchased more than $23 billion in U.S. agricultural products this year, approximately 71 percent of its target under the Phase One Agreement.
- The U.S. Presidential Election is today, November 3. Elections for the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate are also underway. The results could have implications for U.S. agriculture and trade policy in the years ahead.
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.