Hide trading was active in the US on Thursday May 2 after Chinese buyers returned to the market following the celebration of the Labor Day holiday. Several packer steer and native heifer hide selections traded $0.50-2.00 per piece higher than the day prior, whereas branded heifer hides traded $0.50 per piece lower.

Multiple sources reported that both buyers and sellers were more willing to negotiate and settle on prices for a variety of hide selections than they were the week prior. Buyers were more lenient to pay sellers’ offer prices on Thursday than they had been on April 25, which lead to more trading activity than in the week prior, a hide trader said.

Heavy Texas steer hides and heavy native heifer hides traded at $25 per piece, $2 per piece above the last traded levels. The trades were for small volume material, according to the sellers.

US export sales, shipments for week ended April 25