The latest issue of our Market Intelligence fortnightly newsletter went live on April 29. By Leatherbiz.

More detail is emerging of the early effects that the global tariff tensions are having on the leather supply chain. Trade between the US and China is a particular area of focus.

The report notes that prices for US raw materials are already coming down as a partial compensation for the tariffs that hide importers are now having to pay. It says this is exerting price pressure on hides from other origins. Market Intelligence warns that pressure on prices for consumer goods made using leather will increase accordingly.

“The fundamentals have only deteriorated further as a result of trade policy,” it concludes. “An improvement can only come from a reassessment of leather as a material.”