Buyer interest for cured steer hides was mild on Thursday May 30 compared with the Thursday prior due to delays from the US Memorial Day holiday on Monday May 27 and lacking orders in several key leather sectors. Cow hide sellers were slightly more active than steer hide sellers.

Prices for cured steer hide sales softened from previously-traded levels for packer light and regular weight heavy native steers (HNS), trading at $29 per piece for both weight classes, driven by the absence of automotive hide tanners in the market. Several reports of building inventories of HNS and butt branded steer hides suggested the need to lower prices to move material.

Packer heavy Texas steer hides traded at $24.50 per piece, up by $2.50 per piece from the last reported trade, with the buyer indicating firm demand for the selection from the Asian hide market.

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