Bulletin

Very little pickle is being produced in New Zealand this season, and in fact very little has been produced for most of 2019. 

Car sales continue to nose dive in all major countries, this pattern has been the case for over a year now. But what is more worrying, is that many of the manufactures are turning away from using leather in the interiors, even those that do still use leather, state that their short to medium term plans are to move away from leather. 

The ongoing farmer protests in Ireland have caused a severe downturn in the number cattle being sent to slaughter. 

National and regional holidays in many parts of the Far East, caused the hide markets to remain muted last week, with few sales being concluded.

There are growing concerns that the election of a populist left-wing government will have a negative impact on exports from Argentina. 

As seen in the U.S., the attractive prices and relative availability has pushed an increasing number of buyers looking in the higher quality range of hides, driving a deeper wedge between the better hides and the lower grades. 

Putting together all the reports read and the interviews made during and after the recent Shanghai fair, the hide market seems poised to continue along the trajectory that has emerged in recent weeks.

The market remains challenging for Australian hides, with profitability of the business remaining a big problem for sellers. 

Many agents and tanners in China report that the number of cowhides being offered from European suppliers has increased over recently.

China officially filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) on September 4 in response to the U.S. raising tariffs from 10% to 15% on US$300 billion worth of Chinese goods.