US hide exports show bigger fall in value than in volume
Packers and traders from the US exported 17.4 million hides in the first ten months of this year, just over 15 million wet-salted hides and more than 2.3 million wet blue.
These exports brought in total revenues of $709.9 million, $472.2 million for wet-salted and $237.7 million for wet blue.
Compared to the same months last year, these figures show a fall of 12.5% in the volume of hide exports overall and a decline of 27.6% in value.
For wet-salted hides, the decreases are of 10% in volume and 26% in value. The corresponding figures for wet blue are falls of 26% in volume and of 30% in value.
The average price of US wet-salted hides across the ten months was $31.40 , while the figure for wet blue was $101.14.
China was the biggest buyer of US wet-salted hides in the January-October period, importing 9.7 million pieces, which is 8% more than in the same months in 2019. However, the value of shipments of wet-salted to China was down by 9%.
Italy was the most important export market for US wet blue, buying just over 730,000 hides. This was 26% down on the same months a year ago and the decline in the value of shipments of US wet blue to Italy fell by 27%.
