All articles by Ky Nikitha
Ky Nikitha
View from the US
After two years of steadily declining prices, US hides were finally able to hold onto firm levels for a couple of months. At the end of September, packers were still well sold on popular steer selections and insisting on steady prices, in a few cases having pushed them up an additional dollar or two since August. That said, no one was expecting the market to rise further and sellers hoped to maintain steady trading as long as possible. In addition, the still-simmering trade war with China is set to see additional tariffs take effect on 15 December, affecting the hide and leather sector.
A global perspective
Following the World Leather Congress in New York in July, Leather International caught up with Steve Sothmann, president of the US Hide, Skin and Leather Association, a joint organiser of the congress, to discuss some of the pressing concerns ahead of ACLE.
Smart and sustainable
Sport, performance and fashion are going to be the three pillars for this edition of Première Vision Paris, held on 17–19 September at Paris Nord Villepinte, just downwind from Charles de Gaulle Airport, for those jetting in for the occasion.
View from the EU
European companies will be conspicuous by their absence from ACLE on 3–5 September, and of the 46 Italian representatives in Shanghai, only two are tanneries. Andrea Guolo reports on rising labour costs and increased automation in China, and the future prospects for Italian leather companies across Asia.
On the line
After a strong show in New York in July, Lineapelle returns to its ancestral home in Italy in early October for the European autumn edition to showcase the winter 2020–21 collections and advancements in leather technology. Fieramilano Rho, outside Milan’s city centre, will once again be the venue as thousands flock to the three-day event, starting 2 October.
A CLIA message
The All China Leather Exhibition (ACLE) at the Shanghai New International Expo Center on 3–5 September exerts tremendous influence in the leather industry, especially considering the scale and demand that China commands – but with big numbers come big risks, as well as big opportunities. Here, Su Chaoying, honorary chairman of the China Leather Industry Association (CLIA) – the joint organiser of ACLE along with APLF – provides insight into the Chinese leather market, the current state of US-China relations and what we can expect in the near future.
Skin in the game
Dr Kheng-Lim Goh, associate professor of mechanical engineering and director of research, Newcastle University in Singapore, who delivered the Heidemann Lecture at the last IULTCS Congress in Dresden in June, discusses recent findings on the role of collagen in regulating the mechanical stability of biological materials.
Compound the problem
Eric Wang, global soft lines chemical services manager at inspection, verification, testing and certification company SGS, discusses volatile organic compounds source and control in leather and footwear production.
View from the US
What a difference a month or two can make in the hide market. In early May, US hides were still on a steady slide downward, but by the end of July, it was a very different story. Packers had been able to move enough steers that they were well sold on popular steer selections and were thus able to push prices beyond steady to higher levels. In some cases, the improvement was more than 25–30%. At the mid-summer point, the trade war with China was no closer to being resolved and the latest round of talks in Shanghai had ended without any real progress.
View from the EU
Getting the message across that leather is a desirable, sustainable material requires industry-wide collaboration. Our man on the continent, Andrea Guolo, reports on the identity crisis sweeping the sector.