November 24
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 rapidly evolving situation. LHCA wishes all those celebrating Thanksgiving a safe, healthy and happy holiday! Plus, the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has approved a Supplemental Order authorizing a formal investigation of ocean carriers' policies and practices related to detention and demurrage, container return and container availability. LHCA last week joined a multi-association letter urging the FMC to suspend detention and demurrage charges at several U.S. ports. More on these and other topics below.
We hope you stay safe and healthy.
Weekly Hides and Skins Stats
- Net sales of cured cattle hides reported for the period ending November 12 were 273,300 pieces and of wet blue were 82,000 pieces. Reported shipments of cured hides were 471,200 and of wet blue were 131,300. 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, up 1.8 percent from the previous week. Total cattle slaughter in 2020 is 28,725,000, 3.6 percent below 2019 levels. See more.
- USDA AMS Major Packer Hide Price Report provided prices for seven types of U.S. hides at seven price points with a spread of $8 for branded southwest cows to $37 butt branded 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 University of Northampton Institute for Creative Leather Technologies announced a new 12-week online leather training course, starting January 13, 2021. The course is ideal for those new to the industry and for those looking to improve their skills and increase their knowledge about the leather value chain. The course costs 500 GBP, and is 300 GBP for students. For more information, and to register for the course, contact Marc Gummer.
- The second draft of the Leather Impact Accelerator 1.0 is now available for public review and feedback. Public comments on the draft are due next Tuesday, December 1, 2020. The Leather Impact Accelerator is a benchmarking program that recognizes and rewards best practices in the leather value chain. It uses benchmarks to address animal welfare and deforestation/conversion-free at the farm level, to determine the societal and environmental impacts of leather processing and t0 set expectations for traceability. To learn more and submit comments, click here.
- 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 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding face coverings, employee screening and positive test result protocol, among other pertinent resources. CDC and the Department of Labor issued guidance specific to the meat and poultry 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.
Tara Roberts, a UK-based sustainable fashion advocate, recently took to the Real Leather. Stay Different. TikTok channel to discuss how to build an affordable and sustainable wardrobe. Here's a hint: choose real leather and minimize your reliance on fast fashion. Check out our chat with Tara here. Get the latest news from Real Leather. Stay Different. here. And, don't forget to:
Other News
- The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) last week approved a Supplemental Order that expands the authority of Fact Finding 29, "International Ocean Transportation Supply Chain Engagement." The Order authorizes the FMC to investigate ocean carriers operating in alliances, and will focus on policies and practices of those shipping companies related to detention and demurrage, container return and container availability. The investigation will examine conditions in the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and New York/New Jersey. LHCA has been actively involved in agriculture transportation issues and will provide further updates when they become available. More here.
Monthly Trade Data
- Monthly Livestock Slaughter report is now available. October 2020 cattle slaughter totaled 2.95 million head, down 1 percent from October 2019. Get a summary of the data here.
- Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market as of November 1, 2020, totaled 12 million head. The inventory was 1 percent above November 1, 2019. Read the report here.
Cattle on Feed - As of November 1, 2020
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.