December 15

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 situation. President-elect Joe Biden has announced his nominations for U.S. Agriculture Secretary and U.S. Trade Representative -- key positions with domestic oversight responsibilities and international trade implications for the U.S. hide, skin and leather industry. Also, USDA is hosting a virtual meeting this week to discuss weekly export sales reporting at the end of the 2020 marketing year. Plus, the latest Leather Loves blog post, by fashion stylist Mike Adler, provides some much needed wardrobe inspiration this holiday season. 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 December 3 were 332,800 pieces and of wet blue were 99,500 pieces. Reported shipments of cured hides were 368,300 and of wet blue were 104,700. 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 665,000 last week, down 0.3 percent from the previous week. Total cattle slaughter in 2020 is 30,626,000, 3.4 percent below 2019 levels. See more.
  • USDA AMS Major Packer Hide Price Report provided prices for eight types of U.S. hides at nine price points with a spread of $9.50 for branded southwest cows to $39.50 for heavy native steers.  See more.

Industry Updates

  • USDA is hosting a webinar this Wednesday, December 16, at 3 p.m. ET to discuss weekly export sales reporting during the end of the marketing year. USDA requests that participants mute their microphones and turn off their cameras when joining the virtual webinar, to ensure attendees' identities remain confidential. Participants may ask questions using the webinar platform's chat function. A link to join the meeting is available here, and the meeting passcode is 362831. If prompted, the meeting ID is 161 249 0042. To join the meeting by phone, call 1-646-828-7666 and enter the meeting ID. LHCA was not involved in the planning of this meeting.  
  • The Leather Working Group is partnering with Leather Naturally this week to host a pair of webinars focused on Leather Naturally's METCHA digital marketing campaign that highlights the latest leather news and developments in the fashion, art and lifestyle sectors. The webinars, which will take place at 9 a.m. ET and 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, December 16, will showcase METCHA's achievements and discuss plans for the campaign's future. 
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued updated travel and isolation guidance, allowing for a quarantine period of 7-10 days, if certain conditions are met. 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 CDC regarding face coverings, employee screening and positive test result protocol, among other pertinent resources. Additionally, CDC and the Department of Labor issued guidance specific to the meat and poultry packing and 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.

leather_loves_fashion

 

In his latest blog post, renowned stylist Mike Adler assembles 17 carefully curated looks for any holiday occasion. These sharp, tailored, stylish ensembles feature must-have leather belts, shoes, bags and more. Check them out here. Get the latest news from Real Leather. Stay Different. here. And, don't forget to:

 

Other News

  • President-elect Joe Biden has nominated Katherine Tai as U.S. Trade Representative and Tom Vilsack as Secretary of Agriculture. Vilsack previously served as Agriculture Secretary for eight years during the Obama-Biden Administration. Tai is currently the chief trade counsel for the House Ways and Means Committee, and previously served as chief counsel for China trade enforcement in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Both nominations require confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
  • Last week, the U.S. Congress approved, and President Donald Trump signed, a continuing resolution temporarily extending funding for U.S. government operations through December 18, as Congressional leaders continue negotiations on a COVID-19 relief package.  

 

leather pile

 

Monthly Drought Monitor - December 10, 2020

Intensification of drought was observed across parts of the western U.S. including in California, Nevada and Colorado, where precipitation has been below normal since the beginning of the Water Year (October 1). In California, statewide snow water content (SWE) is currently at 36% of the historical average for the date (December 7) and Water-Year-to-Date (WYTD) precipitation (statewide) is ranging from the bottom 10% to the bottom 33% with some areas in the Mojave Desert experiencing the driest on record for the period. According to NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), the 6-month period from June to November 2020 was the hottest and driest on record for both Arizona and California. Current snowpack conditions across the West are generally reflective of a La Nina-like precipitation pattern with the mountain ranges in the Pacific Northwest and some areas of the northern Rockies observing near-normal to above-normal snowpack conditions. Further south in the Four Corners states, basin-wide (6-digit HUC) SWE is below normal in nearly all drainage basins in the region. Elsewhere on this week's map, areas of Texas, including the Panhandle and central Texas, saw some minor deterioration in conditions where both long and short-term precipitation deficits exist. In the Northern Plains, unseasonably warm temperatures and dry conditions continued this week leading to intensification of drought conditions in North Dakota, where statewide precipitation for the September-November 2020 period ranked third driest on record, according to NOAA NCEI. In New England, drought-related conditions significantly improved in response to heavy rains and snow associated with a Nor'easter that impacted the region over the weekend. The storm delivered heavy rains and strong winds to coastal areas as well as heavy snowfall in the mountains of New Hampshire and northern Maine.

december_2020_drought_map

 

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.