Four appalling months have just gone by. US leather leaves them behind. In fact, looking at data and figures about exports, recently made public by LHCA (Leather and Hide Council of America), overseas sales, with regard both to rawhides and wet blue, have been going through a considerable downturn.
Four appalling months
From January to April 2020, the volumes of raw hides and skins, sold by the United States all over the world, decreased by 19%, while wet blue exports went down by 14%. In terms of value, raw hides and skins dropped from over 284 million dollars, earned in the first four months of 2019, down to slightly more than 208 million dollars in 2020. Revenues therefore have decreased by 27%. As regards semi-finished rawhides, sales have reached, in 2020, 130 million dollars: in 2019, they amounted to 151 million dollars.
Markets
China and Hong Kong together are still the most important end market for exports of raw hides. Yet, in the first four months of the year, these countries have become the main business destination for wet blue as well. In 2019, they were ranking behind Vietnam and Italy. Against the flow, conversely, Brazil, Israel, Indonesia and Ethiopia. US exports of raw hides, towards the South American country, have been rising by 102%, while exports of semi-finished leather have increased by 161%. A heavy demand for wet blue made in the USA has come from Thailand, which purchased 138% of hides. From January to April 2019, Italy’s demand for raw hides and skins decreased by 40%, while demand for semi-finished leather dropped by 25%.
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