January 12

Leather and Hide Weekly

This week, LHCA will launch a new, free webinar series on Thursday, January 14, with a discussion about Mindhive, which deploys solutions that bring greater efficiency and transparency to operational processes at tanneries, and Leather Naturally's METCHA digital marketing campaign, which aims to promote leather's beauty to younger generations. There's still time to reserve your spot today -- you won't want to miss this webinar. Also, LHCA recently published an article affirming the status of a hide, and the resulting leather, as a byproduct of meat and dairy production. Plus, the latest monthly trade data is now available. More on these and other topics below.

 

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Weekly Hides and Skins Stats 

  • Net sales reductions of cured cattle hides reported for the period ending December 31, 2020, were 5,400 pieces and net sales of wet blues were 8,900 pieces. Reported shipments of cured hides were 244,100 and of wet blues were 96,100. China was the largest buyer of cured hides and Vietnam was the largest destination for wet blues. See more. For historical data, click here. 
  • U.S. Cattle Slaughter was 651,000 last week, up 26.4 percent from the previous week. Total cattle slaughter in 2021 is 718,000 head. See more.
  • USDA AMS Major Packer Hide Price Report provided prices for four types of U.S. hides at three price points with a spread of $13.50 for both branded southwest cows and branded cows to $24 for dairy cows.See more

Industry Updates

  • In a recent article, LHCA President Stephen Sothmann affirms the status of leather as a byproduct of meat and dairy production, and addresses the veracity of claims to the contrary. Sothmann cites economic and production data to dispel assertions in popular media that inaccurately assume the price of the hide, and resulting leather, is driving production decisions. An abridged version of the article was shared with the Leather Working Group. 
  • The Sustainable Leather Foundation next Tuesday, January 19, will host its Inaugural Partnership Meeting, during which the organization will update its founding partners and leather value chain guests on its development work to date, its pilot program and its plans for 2021. For more information and to register, click here. 

LHCA Webinar Series

  • To get a strong start to 2021, LHCA is kicking off the year with a NEW webinar series this Thursday, January 14, at 4 p.m. ET.  The LHCA webinar series, which will occur in regular intervals throughout the year, seeks to connect LHCA members and stakeholders with the latest news, technology and information available in the industry. Members and guests are highly encouraged to participate in the FREE webinars. 
  • The first webinar session to be held this Thursday, January 14, at 4 p.m. ET will feature Mindhive and Leather Naturally. Mindhive deploys solutions that bring greater efficiency and transparency to operational processes at tanneries. Mindhive further improves operational workflows with its traceability offering, enabling tanneries to offer full transparency, reshape their operations and optimize processes within. The webinar will also highlight Leather Naturally's METCHA digital platform and global marketing campaign, which covers a wide range of news and developments related to leather in the fashion, art and lifestyle sectors. Leather Naturally launched METCHA, which now reaches 40 million people per month, in 2019, to showcase the value and importance of leather as a material, making use of prominent social media channels to connect with younger generations. Leather Naturally's presentation will cover key achievements of METCHA to date and will detail the campaign's plans to continue promoting leather to a global audience. Featured speakers include Fernando Bellese, chief sustainability officer at PrimeAsia Leather Corporation; Neil Martin, CEO at Mindhive; and Laura Martin, marketing manager at Mindhive. 
  • Don't miss out! For more information and to register, click here.    

Latest Updates from Real Leather. Stay Different.

100-natural-you

 

Looking to spruce up your home this new year? Berluti, the Italian company known for its luxury leather shoes and menswear, has now turned its attention to creating beautiful, artisan leather homeware pieces. Check out the must-have collection here. Get the latest news from Real Leather. Stay Different. here. And, don't forget to:

 

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Other News

  • The U.S. apparel and footwear industry, along with other business groups, recently urged President Donald Trump against imposing tariffs on imports from Vietnam over the country's currency and timber practices. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative initiated Section 301 investigations into Vietnam's currency policy and timber industry in October 2020, after which the U.S. Treasury labelled Vietnam a currency manipulator in December 2020. U.S. businesses and organizations are requesting the U.S. forgo tariffs and instead implement more targeted tools to hold Vietnam accountable, warning U.S. agricultural exports will bear the burden of retaliation. More here.

Monthly Data

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

  • Cured cattle hides exports fell 6 percent in volume and 26 percent in value compared to 2020. Download the data here.
  • Wet blue shipments decreased 24 percent in volume and 28 percent in value. Italy was the largest buyer by value, totaling more than $84.6 million.
  • Pig skin exports increased 4 percent in volume and 5 percent in value compared to 2019. Download the data here.

*Please note, monthly and weekly export data often diverge. As a result, the figures in the links above may not align with the data presented in the weekly hides and skins statistics reported in this newsletter. LHCA is aware of this issue and is working with USDA and Customs to recalibrate the monthly data to more accurately reflect weekly figures. 

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.