All articles by Staff Writer
Staff Writer
View from the US
The US hide market had cleared its oversupply of some selections since the start of February and looked to be on a stronger footing. By the end of March, however, the picture was not so rosy. Export sales were far from good, customers were generally reluctant to buy and with regard to wet-blue, supplies were still plentiful and prices low.
A new hybrid approach
In the debate over leather and alternative materials, the choice has always been presented as either/or. The two sectors may initially seem at loggerheads, but as Vera Dordick discovers, could the future of the leather market be a hybrid one?
WASDE raises 2023 beef production estimates
The U.S. Department of Agriculture adjusted its forecast for red meat and poultry production in 2024 to be 1 percent less than in 2023. Beef production is expected to be lower as is pork production, while poultry will be higher, according to the latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE).
Higg rebrands as Worldly
Higg is rebranding as Worldly in an effort to relaunch itself to the fashion sector and expand its product range. The move comes after the Higg Index, one of the most-used sustainability assessment tools, suspended its consumer sector activities in 2022 after some called its claims into question.
Bangladesh’s leather, leather goods exports drop by 17.55
Between January and April of 2023, exports of leather and leather goods from Bangladesh decreased by 17.55 percent due to a decline in global demand for luxury goods brought on by inflation. Another reason given for the drop was a lack of environmental compliance.
In the clear
Cattle by-products – including hides – have always gone to the gelatine market. As leather demand declined, lately, some have asked whether this industry could become a greater outlet for hides, especially those of lower quality. Vera Dordick investigates.
View from the US
In January, the US hide market started to see prices stabilise after some difficulties at the end of December. By the time the Lunar New Year rolled around, the oversupply of some selections had been cleared and sellers started talking about being at the bottom of the trading range. That said, wet-blue was still under pressure due to customer inventories and footwear demand that was not yet healthy.
Footwear exports through April lower in pairs, higher in value
In the four months through April, Brazil exported 48.74 million pairs of shoes, generating US$440.2 million. This is a drop of 9.3% in volume and an increase of 1 .3% in revenue compared to the same period last year, reports the Brazilian Association of Footwear Industries (Abicalçados).
Video tutorials to introduce chemical and physical tests on leather
GSC Group, a leading Italian chemical company, supplying chemical products to the tanning industry, launches a new digital format to inspire our customers and provide an interesting series for everyone to learn from. With its new series of videos that show the importance of chemical-physical tests for the world of leather. The company shows, for the first time, its knowledge on technical topics, informing and showing many details that are informative to all.
Stahl’s emissions reduction targets approved by the science based targets initiative
Stahl, a leading provider of coating technologies, announces that its near-term greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Stahl is one of the few coatings companies to receive this validation. To date, 145 companies in the chemicals sector have submitted an emissions reduction target to the SBTi, of which 61 have had their targets validated.