US hides bring in export revenues of $2 billion in 2016
15/02/2017
Wet salted hides contributed $1.4 billion of the total, but the value of these shipments fell by 5% compared to the figure for 2015. Exports of wet blue fell in value by 19% to just over $600 million.
China was the largest buyer of both salted and wet blue cattle hides for the year, with imports of wet salted cattle hides valued at over $861 million and $217 million of wet blue cattle hide products. Other large destination markets included Korea, Mexico, Vietnam and the European Union.
In terms of volume, wet blue exports fell by 12%, with 6.6 million wet blue hides going to tanners outside the US last year. However, shipments of wet salted hides went up in volume, from 19.1 million pieces in 2015 to almost 21.6 million last year, a rise of 13%.
“The hides and skins industry is a major success story for US agriculture and exports,” said Stephen Sothmann, president of the US Hide, Skin and Leather Association (USHSLA) on releasing the full-year figures. “The industry has positioned itself well to capitalise on a highly dynamic, integrated global leather marketplace.”
USHSLA has said many in the industry are predicting better figures for 2017 as leather is reincorporated into more product lines, especially footwear.
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