Sellers in the US hide market continue to be well sold, while little change is made to price ranges. The shipping concern in the marketplace remains, as the need for containers to be loaded and delivered before the Chinese Lunar New Year is high. 

The producer price index (PPI) for natural fibers increased for the seventh consecutive month, reaching 185.6 points in October 2020. From January 2015 to March 2020, the index remained relatively steady at an average of 163 points. April 2020 triggered the start of an unusual spike, augmenting each month with a 14 percent gain from the average. Natural fibers, including animal and plant-based materials, are absorbent, eco-friendly and durable. However synthetic fibers tend to be cheaper and stain and water resistant. The synthetic fiber PPI has been on the decline since December of 2018 when the index reached 133 points, falling to 125 points in October of 2020. The dirverging direction between synthetic…