Bulletin

The economic impact upon the world by Covid-19 is very well captured within the leather industry. At theSauerReport we see that previously high-in-demand leather fashion items, such as handbags and dress shoes are just not selling.

A very similar story is reported with Belgian hides, as with most European hides. Suppliers have seen an increase in demand and price for the heavier better quality hides, with Chinese tanners leading the way in regards to demand.

There are market price rises at both ends of the scale; the selling prices have recently risen by around US$4.00/hide, but the trickle-down effect has meant that green prices are also on the rise. Demand for hides continues to be strong from Chinese tanners, although it has been reported that Italian tanners are now showing more interest, having run down their hide stock levels.

Last year we gave news that some suppliers from Spain had carried out some underhand practices by loading containers destined for China with hides that were not as described on the contracts. The failure in many cases to pay the claims were greeted with much distrust by Chinese tanners, causing some to take to social media to vent their anger.

Prices for wet-blue continue to climb, with the market now described by one supplier as very bullish. Demand still remains for the top quality TR1 wet-blue, but as the price for this increases, then finished leather tanners will start to look for value below the top quality levels, especially if the gap between the top grades widens.

A flat but firm week best describes last week’s activity within Germany. There have been no reported price movements, either up, nor down. In recent times, there has been an upward trend in prices, but the amount tanners can currently pay seems to have hit the ceiling.

The price rises for hides that are more suitable for the upholstery business continued last week, while there was a levelling off on prices elsewhere. On October 1, the latest export hide sales were released for both cured and wet-blue material; there had been a sharp decline in the volume of sales made on both fronts.

The demand for finished leather continues to be almost exclusively from the domestic trade. The upholstery side of the finished leather business is reported to be very buoyant, although there are now signs that customers are becoming resistant to further price rises, so maybe the ceiling has been found, or is very close to being found.

The only reported leather activity of any note is said to be in the market for industrial gloving. Apart from this, the Kenyan market is described by one commentator as very dull. Many suppliers are still in Kenya and unable to visit their main customers in India due to the ongoing virus restrictions, and in many cases because there is just so little business to discuss.

There are very few positives to draw from the world Covid-19 problems, but perhaps one piece of good news for the hide supply industry is that after a long-time demand is outstripping supply within certain segments of the hide industry. Slaughter rates in almost all origins are well below the normal levels.