US hide exports still worth well over $1 billion per year
The Leather and Hide Council of America has published full-year figures for hide exports from the US in 2023.
While the totals for the year confirm the falls that were in evidence throughout 2023, they show that tanners, packers and traders in the US still shipped 28.6 million hides to leather manufacturers overseas last year, bringing in export revenues of more than $1.1 billion.
These figures represent falls of 6.4% in volume and of 11.5% in value compared to 2022.
Shipments of wet-salted hides were down by 7% in volume to 24.8 million pieces, and by 12% in value to $768.2 million. China was, by far, the biggest buyer of this material. Tanners and traders there bought just under 17 million hides, paying $508.4 million. These figures represent increases of 8% in volume and of 2% in value year on year.
For wet blue, the figures for 2023 were volumes of just over 3.75 million hides, with a total value of $361 million, declines of 2% and 11% respectively. Italy remained the biggest buyer with a volume of 866,543 pieces, down by 27% year on year. Italian tanners paid $98.5 million for this material, a fall of 18%.
Prices fell. Wet-salted hides from the US had an average export price of $30.94 last year, compared to $32.53 the year before. Wet blue hides cost $95.88 on average in 2023, compared to $106.47 the year before.
