US hide sellers worked to clear material amid shifting demand trends, Fastmarkets heard on Wednesday November 20. Several sellers told Fastmarkets that they featured a short offer list with limited well-sold hides, focusing primarily on fed steer selections. Packers offered butt branded steer hide selections for January delivery with buyers bidding at flat-to-slightly lower prices, reflecting a cautious stance.

A few market participants said that higher-end leather, particularly for upholstery and automotive use, maintained strong demand, supported by active buying from regions such as China, South Korea, Thailand and Mexico. This demand contrasted with the shoe leather segment, where tanners pulled back from purchasing due to elevated inventories, particularly of side-branded cured hides. This oversupply added pressure to prices in that category, affecting traders and processors more significantly than packers.

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