Increases in exports of wet blue from the US are running at close to 20% in volume and in value. By Leatherbiz.

In the first five months of 2024, tanners and traders shipped almost 1.8 million wet blue hides to customers overseas, bringing in export revenues of just under $175 million.

What these figures mean is that, over the five-month period, wet blue exports increased by 19% in volume and by 18% in value, compared to January-May last year.

Tanners in Vietnam have increased their sourcing of US wet blue by 73% in volume and by 74% in value year on year.

Their counterparts in China have upped their purchase of US wet blue by 34% in volume and by 43% in value.

Over the five months, though, exports of wet-salted hides from the US have continued to fall, by 13% in volume, to reach almost 9.4 million pieces, and by 15% in value, bringing in $285 million.