Activity in the hide market picked up slightly on Thursday January 16, with increased interest noted for certain types of steer hides. Heavy native steer (HNS) hides in jumbo weights traded at $31 per piece (up by $2 per piece from the last traded level), but recent purchases have shifted toward jumbo heavy Texas steer (HTS) hides, according to a US hide trader.

This shift reflected an ample inventory of HNS hides, while the steady flow of HTS hides was meeting demand, particularly from Hebei province in China.

Interest from Chinese buyers was present but tempered by low bids, such as $25 per piece for jumbo HNS hides, which were rejected as too low. Dairy cow hides also saw some buyer interest at $1 per piece below previous levels, but sellers, not feeling pressured to move inventory, opted to hold firm.

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