Sales are reported to be very slow in the French hide market and are hard to come by. The continued inflationary pressures and supply chain disruptions are preventing tanners from having any visibility for sales of finished leather for the months ahead, writes TheSauerReport.

Full grain Barenia calfskin from the French tannery Degermann

Several Italian tanners are already halting deliveries of raw hides for their summer break period which is earlier than usual. There isn’t much joy in sales to China either.

Those making new orders of raw hides (wet salted) need very competitive prices to make a deal. There is a feeling that it is more speculative purchasing rather than filling a requirement for an order of finished leather at the moment. Prices are likely to come down during the summer in order to attract sales. If they do not materialise, hides will likely be stored in the hope that demand will return after the holidays.