April 7th

Leather and Hide Weekly

 

cows

 

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. LHCA is also seeking stories from members that are making a positive contribution to help COVID-19 relief efforts. Additionally, LHCA is considering postponing or cancelling its Spring Board of Directors teleconference meeting, originally slated for later this month, and is requesting member feedback to inform the decision. Plus, February 2020 hides and skins export data is now available. 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 March 26 were 619,300 pieces and of wet blue were 55,600 pieces. Reported shipments of cured hides were 368,200 and of wet blue were 153,500. China was the largest buyer of cured hides and Italy was the largest destination for wet blue. See more. 
  • U.S. Cattle Slaughter was 626,000 last week, down 7.4 percent from the previous week. Total cattle slaughter in 2020 is 8,645,000, 2.5 percent above 2019 levels. See more.
  • USDA AMS Major Packer Hide Price Report provided prices for seven types of U.S. hides at eight price points with a spread of $1.00 for branded cows to $15.50 for Colorado branded steers.  See more.

Industry Updates

  • Due to the uncertainty and escalation of COVID-19 around the country, LHCA is considering delaying or cancelling its Spring Board of Directors Meeting, which is currently scheduled to take place April 23-24 via teleconference/webinar. Meeting participants should have received an e-mail from LHCA President Stephen Sothmann with more information and a poll requesting feedback on next steps.  LHCA members are welcome to participate in the poll to offer their preference about the Spring meeting. The preference poll is available here.    
  • LHCA is collecting stories from members that are taking steps to make a difference in response to COVID-19 -- companies that are producing facemasks, for example, or taking other actions, big or small, in the global fight against the virus. We'll share your stories in upcoming Real Leather. Stay Different. materials. To be featured, send a description of your company's efforts to Stephen Sothmann, Michael Schumpp and Kevin Latner.      
  • LHCA President Stephen Sothmann will be one of three presenters in an upcoming webinar sponsored by the Textile Exchange titled "Leather Learning Series: Part 1 - The Inherent Sustainability of Leather." The webinar will focus on the fundamentals of leather -- its value as a material, its natural sustainability and its role in a circular economy.  To register for the free webinar, click here. 
  • Many outdoor and athletic brands are seeking suppliers that are Certified Berry Compliant. If your company is Certified Berry Compliant, please contact Hisham Muhareb at American Events, Inc./The Materials Show with your contact information and a short profile of your company, along with a list of your products. 
  • The APLF-Leather, Materials+ and Fashion Access show, which had been postponed until June 1-3, 2020, in Hong Kong, will now be further postponed, due to concerns regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. Show organizers are considering alternate dates, and we will share more information once it becomes available. 
  • The spring 2020 ANPIC show, scheduled to take place May 20-22 in Leon, Mexico, has been cancelled due to concerns regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. The next ANPIC show will convene October 21-23, 2020, in Leon. More here. 

 

cows

 

Other Trade News

  • LHCA signed onto a coalition letter, which was sent last week to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow requesting that they intervene to encourage the Federal Maritime Commission to promptly adopt its Proposed Rule on Detention and Demurrage, as published. Read the letter here. 
  • The Mexican Government last week issued a National Health Emergency declaration, suspending all "non-essential" activities through April 30, 2020, to help stem the spread of COVID-19 in the country. CICUR, the organization representing the Mexican tanning industry, is working to ensure the industry is deemed "essential" because of its importance in the agricultural supply chain.     
  • The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that in response to the COVID-19 pandemic it is modifying mail room service hours at its Riverdale, Maryland headquarters as well as at its three hub locations in Fort Collins, Colorado, Minneapolis, Minnesota and Raleigh, North Carolina. APHIS is encouraging stakeholders to use available electronic resources to submit bills, permits, Freedom of Information Act Requests and other items to ensure a timely response from agency staff. More information, including the updated schedule, is available here. 

Monthly Trade Data

U.S. hides and skins February 2020 export data is now available. Get a summary of the data here.

  • Cured cattle hides exports fell eight percent in volume and declined 16 percent in value compared to 2019. Download the data here.
  • Wet blue shipments decreased 10 percent in volume and seven percent in value. Vietnam was the largest buyer by value, totaling more than $23 million.
  • Pig skin exports increased eight percent in volume, but fell two percent in value compared to 2019. Download the data here.

Latest Updates from Real Leather. Stay Different.

Leather Catwalk

 

What is "slow fashion" and why is it so much better for your wardrobe and the world around us? A new blog post answers these questions and shows how leather is the "slow style" community's sustainable material of choice. Also, the Real Leather. Stay Different. global student design competition continues to ramp up in China, Taiwan and the UK. 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.