USHSLA Establishes First-Ever Hides and Skins Traceability Program.

Voluntary program aims to trace all U.S. hides and skins back to single, identifiable point of origin.

Washington, DC, October 2, 2019 – The U.S. Hide, Skin and Leather Association (USHSLA) today formally launched the U.S.’s first-ever traceability program for hides and skins. The USHSLA Hide and Skin Traceability Program is a voluntary certification program that provides independently certified traceability for all U.S. hides and skins of participating companies back to a single, identifiable point of origin.

“The groundbreaking USHSLA Hide and Skin Traceability Program will, for the first time, establish a standardized, national system with the goal of tracing 100 percent of U.S. hides and skins to the meatpacking plant or hide/skin processing facility of origin,” said USHSLA President Stephen Sothmann. “The program demonstrates the industry’s steadfast commitment to transparency and continuous improvement as we seek to build and maintain trust with tanners, manufacturers, brands, retailers and consumers.” 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Market Service (USDA AMS) will conduct independent audits to certify that a U.S. supplier has adequate procedures, internal controls and record keeping methods in place to ensure the hides and skins it sells originate from a single, identifiable facility – a specific meatpacking plant or a hide/skin processing facility, as aforementioned. All hides and skins produced in the U.S. are eligible to be certified under the program.

Once a facility has been certified to meet one of the traceability standards under the program, USDA AMS will list the name, contact information and program certification of the facility on a public AMS website. In addition, USHSLA will list the facility, program certification and specific product information on its website with the contact information of the U.S. supplier.

Buyers of certified traceable hides and skins under the program are eligible to receive a Certificate of Origin identifying the facility where the product originated and accreditation information, as listed on the public USDA AMS website. The Certificate of Origin for specific loads of hides and skins that have been further processed into leather may be transferred to downstream customers such as manufacturers, brands and retailers, to help comply with supply chain transparency and security efforts. 

“The U.S. hide, skin and leather industry already adheres to some of the most rigorous processing and production standards in the world and is valued for producing a consistent, high-quality supply of hides and skins,” Sothmann added.  “This program further distinguishes the U.S. industry, and will provide additional confidence to its customers, including manufacturers, brands and retailers, about their leather supply chain sourcing.”

For more information about the program, including auditing procedures, and to obtain an application, visit http://www.ushsla.org/USHSLA-Traceability-Program.

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About USHSLA

The United States Hide, Skin and Leather Association (USHSLA) is a full-service industry trade organization devoted to the U.S. hides, skins and wet blue leather products industry. Founded in 1979, the association provides its members with government, public relations, and international trade assistance and support. The USHSLA is a cooperator organization under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s foreign market development programs, assisting U.S. firms develop new markets for U.S. agricultural exports. USHSLA is at the forefront of the industry’s needs, providing members with service, information, and opportunities to compete in today’s global marketplace.