May 4th
Leather and Hide Weekly
As the shipping crisis continues to hamper U.S. agricultural exports, including hides, skin, and leather exports, LHCA remains actively engaged in policy discussions with Congress and the Biden Administration to push for swift relief. Last week, as part of these efforts, LHCA joined nearly 300 organizations in urging Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to leverage the Department of Transportation's existing authority to address ongoing shipping challenges facing U.S. exporters. Plus, our latest Real Leather. Stay Different. blog post details leather's sustainability -- tracing it back more than 5,500 years. More on these and other topics below.
Weekly Hides and Skins Stats
- Net sales of cured cattle hides reported for the period ending April 22, 2021, were 256,600 pieces and net sales of wet blue were 324,000 pieces. Reported shipments of cured hides were 450,600 and of wet blue were 151,300. China was the largest buyer of cured hides and Italy was the largest buyer of wet blue. See more. For historical data, click here.
- U.S. Cattle Slaughter was 649,000 last week, a decrease of 2.4 percent from the previous week. Total cattle slaughter in 2021 is 10,954,000 head, up 3.5 percent from the same period in 2020. See more.
- USDA AMS Major Packer Hide Price Report provided prices for five types of U.S. hides at five price points with a spread of $22 for branded southwest cows to $54 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 Leather Research Laboratory at the University of Cincinnati is hiring a senior research associate, who will be responsible for coordinating research studies involving leather tanning (novel tanning agents/processes), assist in the root cause analysis of industry problems (generally cured hides & wet blue/wet white hides), help formulate specifications and recommend test protocols to address field complaints experienced by clients and assist with the creation and presentation of the educational content that the department offers. Applicants are required to have a Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field and 3+ years tannery experience. We offer an attractive compensation package, including base salary and excellent benefits (e.g., retirement, medical/dental, tuition remission), and relocation assistance, if required. The University of Cincinnati, as a multi-national and culturally diverse university, is committed to providing an inclusive, equitable and diverse place of learning and employment. As part of a complete job application, you will be asked to include a Contribution to Diversity and Inclusion statement. The University of Cincinnati is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer/Minority/Female/Disability/Veteran. For more information and to apply, click here.
- Halley Fur & Leather Ltd., located in Istanbul, Turkey, seeks salted hides and skins exports from the U.S. to supply the growing Turkish leather and gelatin industries. For more information about this opportunity, contact Ali Kadir Cankurtaran.
Latest Updates from Real Leather. Stay Different.
Not many materials can boast beauty, durability, and sustainability, but that's what makes leather stand above its competition. It's no wonder we've turned to leather for millennia -- 5,500 years to be exact. While you may not need your leather to last thousands of year, you can feel confident that embracing this natural, versatile product will help reduce our overreliance on fast fashion, without compromising style or placing undue strain on the environment. Check out our latest blogpost detailing leather's sustainable attributes. Get the latest news from Real Leather. Stay Different. here. And, don't forget to:
Other News
- LHCA joined nearly 300 agriculture companies and associations in sending a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg urging the Department of Transportation to exercise its existing authority to address ongoing shipping challenges facing U.S. agricultural exporters. The letter, which the Agriculture Transportation Coalition coordinated, was also shared with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and key Members of Congress serving on committees with jurisdiction over transportation and ports issues. A copy of the letter is available here.
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.