A stronger year for US hide exports
The Leather and Hide Council of America has shared full-year figures for hide exports from the US in 2021.
According to the figures, US packers, tanners and traders shipped 34.8 million hides to customers overseas over the 12-month period, an increase of more than 30% year on year.
In terms of value, hide exports in 2021 brought in revenues of more than $1.4 billion, an increase of more than 60%.
Wet-salted hide exports in 2021 achieved a volume of 30.3 million pieces and revenues of almost $960 million. These figures represent annual increases of 28% and 67% respectively.
For wet blue, the volume was 4.4 million pieces and the value $451.3 million, up by 53% in each case.
The average export price of a wet-salted hide was $31.61; the corresponding figure for wet blue was $101.44.
In 2020, the average export value of US wet-salted was lower at $24.20 per hide, while wet blue’s average that year was $101.32.
Tanners in China were the biggest buyers of US wet-salted hides, importing more than 20 million pieces, whereas the biggest market for wet blue was Italy, snapping up a volume of 1.3 million.
LHCA issued an important caveat on releasing the full-year figures for 2021. It said it had received an increasing volume of reports from its member companies of inaccuracies in the hides and skins export figures that it publishes month by month.
It explained that it was working with the US Department of Agriculture and customs authorities “to ensure greater accuracy”. It said it would revise its published totals, if necessary, after carrying out this review but said the process could take a few months.
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