Market participants began the week starting Monday May 20 trading hides at lower prices than the week prior, but sellers indicated several markets had potentially reached a bottom. The materials reported were items not listed in Fastmarkets’ Price Guide.

Several sellers indicated heavy native steer (HNS) and butt branded steer hides were under price pressure on Tuesday May 21, driven by limited purchasing activity from automotive tanners. A packer reported the best bid they received for HNS hides was at $28 per piece, down $3 per piece from the last traded levels.

Cow hides were also in slow demand because the Hebei province in China, a major furniture upholstery tanning destination, was relatively inactive, according to several market participants.

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