Several steer and cow hides traded lower on Thursday May 16 than on the day prior, driven by a major push on prices by Chinese tanners.

Regular and light weight butt branded and Colorado branded steer hides, northern branded and southwestern branded cow hides and native and branded bull hides traded $0.50 per piece down from Wednesday levels. A few sellers said the lower prices were to move large inventories of hides that had built at their facilities.

Heavy Texas steer (HTS) hides traded $3 per piece lower than the previously reported trade. Prices of packer HTS hides fluctuated between a low of $22 per piece and a high of $25 per piece since April 11.

Sellers mostly reported packer HTS hides trading at $22-23 per piece, but occasionally a single packer reported trades at $25 per piece. The reports of the packer HTS at $25 per piece ranged from three to six loads.

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