Bovine Hide
Bovine hides are the skins taken from cattle at slaughter, the by-product of the beef industry and the raw material for the great majority of the world leather supply. A hide leaves the killing floor as a perishable protein and is preserved by salting, chilling or immediate tanning, then moved through the chain as raw salted stock, as chrome tanned wet blue, as vegetable tanned material or as dried crust before a finishing tannery turns it into upholstery, footwear uppers, automotive interiors, saddlery, belting and leather goods. Because the hide is a by-product, its supply follows the cattle cycle and the beef trade rather than any demand for leather, and the trade in it moves between the packing regions of the Americas and Oceania and the tanning clusters of Asia and southern Europe.
Listed bovine hide markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
A bovine hide contract is written on four terms: what animal the hide came from, how it has been preserved or tanned, how large and how thick it is, and how many defects sit in the cutting area. Each is measured rather than described.
Substrate, tannage and state of processing
7 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Animal typeDeclared | Steer, heifer, cow, bull or calf. It determines the fibre structure, the substance and the typical area, and the four do not substitute for each other. |
| Preservation or tannageDeclared | Fresh or chilled, wet salted, brine cured, dry salted, air dried, pickled, chrome tanned wet blue, vegetable tanned or crust. This is the state the goods ship in and it fixes the shelf life. |
| CutDeclared | Whole hide, side, butt, bend, shoulder or belly. A side is a hide cut down the backbone line and it is the common trading unit. |
| Split stateDeclared | Full substance, grain split to a stated thickness, or the flesh split sold separately. The grain and the split are two different goods sold at two different prices. |
| TrimDeclared, against the named trim standard | Short trim, long trim or untrimmed, which fixes how much head, shank and belly stays on the piece. It changes the measured area, so it is agreed before measuring. |
| Hair or wool stateDeclared | Hair on, dehaired or limed. Hair on material is restricted at several destinations on animal health grounds. |
| Tanning agentDeclared | Chrome, chrome free, vegetable, aldehyde or combination. Chrome free and metal free material is contracted separately because the finished article requirement differs. |
Selection, size and substance
5 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| AreaSquare feet or square decimetres, per piece | Measured on a calibrated measuring machine after tanning. Wet blue and crust trade by area, and the measuring machine reading printed on the piece is the settlement figure. |
| Green weightKilograms or pounds, per piece, in a stated band | Raw and salted hides trade by weight in bands rather than by area. The band, not the individual piece, is the contract term. |
| SubstanceMillimetres, measured at the stated position | Determined under ISO 2589 with a dial gauge at the official sampling position of ISO 2418. The tolerance around the nominal substance is written into the contract. |
| SelectionDeclared, as the named selection | Light, medium and heavy native, and the equivalent local selections. A selection is a weight or area band with a customary trim and it is named in full on the contract. |
| Piece count per packCount | Wet blue and crust ship in packs of a stated count on a pallet. The count and the pallet weight go on the packing list. |
Grading and defect assessment
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| GradeDeclared, as the named grade within the stated ladder | Graded on a lighted table by the number, size and position of defects in the cutting area. The ladder runs from a first selection with a clean grain to the lowest selection carrying open damage, and the contract names both the ladder and the grade. |
| Brand marksCount and position | Fire and freeze brands. A brand in the butt cuts out of the best part of the hide, so position is priced separately from count. |
| Scratches and scarsCount, and depth as grain deep or through | Barbed wire, thorn and horn damage. A grain deep scratch corrects in finishing, a scar through the grain does not. |
| Warble and parasite damageCount and position | Holes left by the warble fly larva and by tick and mite infestation. It is the defect that separates a northern hemisphere hide from a tropical one. |
| Flay cuts and holesCount, and length or size | Damage from the flaying knife on the killing floor. A cut through the grain is an open defect and it is graded as a hole. |
| Grain qualityAssessed on the lighted table | Cockle, veininess, loose grain and growth marks. Assessed against a sealed reference sample where the contract names one. |
| Putrefaction and hair slipAssessed on inspection | Bacterial damage from delayed curing, showing as hair slip on raw goods and as loose or damaged grain after tanning. It is a rejection rather than a discount. |
| Salt stain and red heatAssessed on inspection | Stains on salted goods from halophilic organisms in the cure. It carries through the tannage and shows in the finished leather. |
| Tannage evennessAssessed on a cut section | A cut through the wet blue shows whether the chrome has penetrated to the centre. A green line at the core is an under tanned piece. |
Chemical and physical analysis
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Chromic oxidePercentage by mass, on the dry weight | Determined under ISO 5398. It is the direct measure of how much chrome the hide has taken and it separates a properly tanned wet blue from an under tanned one. |
| Shrinkage temperatureDegrees Celsius | Determined under ISO 3380. The temperature at which the collagen contracts in water. It is the single most reliable check that the tannage is complete. |
| MoisturePercentage by mass | Determined by oven drying under the IUC method. It governs storage life and it is the difference between a shipped weight and a landed weight. |
| pH and difference figurepH units, measured on an aqueous extract | Determined under ISO 4045. A low pH with a large difference figure indicates free acid that will damage the fibre in storage. |
| Matter soluble in dichloromethanePercentage by mass | Determined under ISO 4048. The fat and oil content, which governs how the material takes further processing. |
| Water soluble matterPercentage by mass | Determined under ISO 4098. Unfixed salts and tanning agents that migrate and bloom on the surface. |
| Chromium VIMilligrams per kilogram, maximum | Determined under ISO 17075. Restricted in leather articles placed on several markets, and tested on arrival rather than taken on trust. |
| FormaldehydeMilligrams per kilogram, maximum | Determined under ISO 17226. Restricted for articles in contact with the skin and for childrens articles. |
| Restricted substancesMilligrams per kilogram, maximum, by named substance | Azo dyes releasing restricted amines, pentachlorophenol, dimethyl fumarate and the substances named on the buyer restricted substances list. |
Delivery, documentation and certification
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| PackingDeclared | Palletised and strapped, bundled in packs of a stated count, or drummed. The pack count and the pallet weight are written into the contract. |
| Weight basisDeclared | Shipped weight or landed weight, gross or net of salt, with the survey house named. Weight loss in transit is a normal feature of salted goods and the basis settles who carries it. |
| Veterinary health certificateCertificate, issued by the competent authority of the exporting country | Hides and skins are animal by-products and they move under veterinary control. The certificate names the approved establishment and the treatment applied. |
| Establishment approvalApproval number, issued by the destination authority | European Union approval number or the equivalent registration at the destination, named on the contract where it is required. |
| Convention permitPermit, issued by the exporting country management authority | Required for listed reptile species. The permit number, the species and the piece tags travel with the shipment. |
| TraceabilityDeclared, with the abattoir or collection point named | Country of origin, abattoir and the tannery of processing. Increasingly a contract term rather than a courtesy, because the finished goods brands audit it. |
| Tannery audit and certificationCertificate, with the scheme and rating | Leather Working Group rating, chemical management certification or organic certification, named on the contract when it is contracted. |
| Container and carrying conditionDeclared | Ventilated or reefer stuffing, the carrying temperature and the humidity control. Wet blue and salted goods spoil in a hot container. |
| Restricted substance complianceDeclared, against the named list | Compliance with the destination chemical restrictions and with the buyer restricted substances list, evidenced by test report. |
Grades outside this list trade on request. Send us the contract specification you work to and we will price against it.
Locations
| Country | Region | We trade it as |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil | Rio Grande do Sul, Sao Paulo, Parana and the Centre West | Origin and destination |
| United States | Midwest and Great Plains packing plants, and the Chicago and Milwaukee trade | Origin and destination |
| Argentina | Buenos Aires, Santa Fe and the Pampas packing plants | Origin and destination |
| Australia | Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria | Origin and destination |
| India | Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Punjab | Origin and destination |
| Pakistan | Punjab, Sindh and the Karachi tanning cluster | Origin and destination |
| Bangladesh | Dhaka, Savar and the Hazaribagh and Hemayetpur tanneries | Origin and destination |
| China | Hebei, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Shandong | Origin and destination |
| Vietnam | Ho Chi Minh City and the southern tanning and footwear cluster | Origin and destination |
| Thailand | Samut Prakan and the Bangkok tanning belt | Origin and destination |
| Indonesia | West Java, Central Java and the Sidoarjo cluster | Origin and destination |
| Turkiye | Tuzla, Corlu, Izmir and Usak | Origin and destination |
| Italy | Arzignano, Santa Croce sull Arno, Solofra and the Veneto tanning districts | Origin and destination |
| Spain | Igualada, Ubrique and the Levante tanneries | Origin and destination |
| France | Annonay, Graulhet and the Millau skin trade | Origin and destination |
| Germany | Rhineland and Bavaria tanning and automotive leather | Origin and destination |
| Portugal | Alcanena and the northern footwear cluster | Origin and destination |
| United Kingdom | Northamptonshire, the Scottish borders and the West Country | Origin and destination |
| Netherlands | Rotterdam trade and Brabant tanning | Origin and destination |
| Poland | Central and southern tanning and furniture leather | Origin and destination |
| Canada | Alberta, Ontario and Quebec packing plants | Origin and destination |
| Uruguay | Montevideo and the Colonia tanning belt | Origin and destination |
| Paraguay | Asuncion and the Chaco cattle region | Origin and destination |
| Colombia | Bogota, Antioquia and the Valle del Cauca | Origin and destination |
| Mexico | Leon and the Guanajuato leather cluster | Origin and destination |
| New Zealand | North Island and South Island processing plants | Origin and destination |
| South Africa | Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal | Origin and destination |
| Ethiopia | Addis Ababa, Modjo and the highland skin trade | Origin and destination |
| Kenya | Nairobi, Nakuru and the Athi River tanneries | Origin and destination |
| Nigeria | Kano, Sokoto and the northern skin trade | Origin and destination |
| Egypt | Cairo, the Robbiki leather city and Upper Egypt | Origin and destination |
| Morocco | Fes, Marrakech and the Casablanca tanning cluster | Origin and destination |
| Russia | Central and Volga federal district tanning | Origin and destination |
| Kazakhstan | Almaty, Shymkent and the steppe pastoral belt | Origin and destination |
| Japan | Himeji, Tatsuno and the Tokyo leather goods trade | Destination |
| South Korea | Busan and the Seoul leather goods trade | Destination |
| Hong Kong | Trading, re-export and the Greater China supply chain | Destination and trading hub |
| Singapore | Regional trading, finance and re-export | Trading and finance |
| United Arab Emirates | Dubai re-export and Gulf consumption | Destination |
| Switzerland | Luxury goods manufacture and the Geneva trade | Destination |
| Romania | Footwear and leather goods manufacture | Destination |
| Tunisia | Footwear and leather goods manufacture for the European market | Destination |
Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.
Timing
Harvest is when the hides and skins come off the killing floor at origin, which follows the slaughter calendar rather than a crop season. Arrival is when a shipment from that origin typically lands in a consuming market. The gap between them is curing or tanning, veterinary clearance and the voyage.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecSlaughter runs year round with a seasonal lift in the second half as the herd comes off pasture. The main wet blue and salted flow moves to Asia and to Italy. |
| United States | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecPacking plant output is steady across the year. Winter kill carries less grub damage and the trade prices the difference. |
| Argentina | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecYear round slaughter with a lift around the autumn cattle movement off the Pampas. |
| Australia | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecSlaughter tracks the northern turn off after the wet season and the southern kill through spring and summer. |
| India | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecWet blue and crust output from the Tamil Nadu and Kanpur clusters runs year round, with the monsoon months slowing drying and yard work. |
| Pakistan | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecCollection lifts sharply around the Eid al Adha slaughter, which moves through the calendar each year, and the tanneries run on that stock for months afterwards. |
| Ethiopia | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecSlaughter lifts around the major religious festivals. Highland hides carry less parasite damage than lowland stock. |
| Turkiye | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecA processing origin as much as a producing one. Tuzla and Corlu buy raw and wet blue from several continents and ship crust and finished leather out. |
Windows outside this pattern trade on request, including carry, forward positions and material already sitting in a destination warehouse.
Customs, packing and contract terms
Indicative terms for bovine hide. Tariff classification is the importer’s responsibility and limits change, so confirm both against the destination customs authority and the current regulation before you fix a contract.
- HS heading4101.20 Whole raw hides and skins of bovine animals, of a weight per skin not exceeding the stated limits
4101.50 Whole raw hides and skins of bovine animals, of a weight exceeding 16 kg
4104.11 Tanned bovine leather in the wet state (including wet blue), full grains, unsplit - PackingWet salted hides bundled on pallets with the salt percentage declared, wet blue on 1 t pallets under shrink wrap, dry salted and crust in bales. Salt content and trim standard are the two clauses that decide claims.
- Container loading20ft: 18 t to 22 t wet salted. 40ft for palletised wet blue at around 24 t. Ventilated or reefer stow on long transits to control putrefaction.
- Contract and arbitrationInternational Council of Hides, Skins and Leather Traders Associations contracts, or the terms of the origin association, with arbitration under ICHSLTA rules or at the contract seat. Selection, trim and take-off standard defined at the point of contract.
- Destination limitsVeterinary health certification under Regulation 2016/429 and animal by-product rules under Regulation 142/2011, CITES permits for reptile, ostrich and other listed species, EU REACH restriction of chromium VI at 3 mg/kg in leather articles, and US Lacey Act and Endangered Species Act controls.
Common questions
What grades of bovine hide does SIP Global trade?
We quote 39 published grades of bovine hide, including Animal type - Declared, Preservation or tannage - Declared, Cut - Declared, Split state - Declared, Trim - Declared, against the named trim standard and Hair or wool state - Declared. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is bovine hide graded?
A bovine hide contract is written on four terms: what animal the hide came from, how it has been preserved or tanned, how large and how thick it is, and how many defects sit in the cutting area. Each is measured rather than described. Grading runs on 5 systems: Substrate, tannage and state of processing, Selection, size and substance, Grading and defect assessment, Chemical and physical analysis and Delivery, documentation and certification.
Where does SIP Global trade bovine hide?
We trade bovine hide in Brazil, United States, Argentina, Australia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and China and 34 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is bovine hide harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Brazil: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec; United States: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec; Argentina: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec; Australia: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec; India: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec. Harvest is when the lot is taken at origin, arrival is when a shipment from that origin lands in a consuming market. Windows outside this pattern, including carry, trade on request.
What is the HS code for bovine hide?
Bovine hide is normally classified under HS 4101.20 (whole raw hides and skins of bovine animals, of a weight per skin not exceeding the stated limits), HS 4101.50 (whole raw hides and skins of bovine animals, of a weight exceeding 16 kg) and HS 4104.11 (tanned bovine leather in the wet state (including wet blue), full grains, unsplit). The heading follows the form the goods are in at the border, and national tariffs extend it beyond six digits, so confirm the full line with the destination customs authority before you fix a contract.
How do I get a price for bovine hide?
Send the grade, the origin and the delivery window to the SIP Global desk. That is enough for a trader to come back with a level and a settlement route. 1 listed bovine hide market is published on this page, each with its full specification and terms. We take both sides, physical and financial, prompt to long dated.
Standards and data sources
The grading language on this sheet follows published standards. Trade volumes and tariff lines are public record. Verify anything here against the source.
- ISOInternational Organization for Standardization
- UN ComtradeOfficial international trade statistics by HS code
- ITC Trade MapBilateral trade flows and tariff data
- FAOSTATFAO production and trade series for agricultural commodities
Price this with our desk
Grade, origin and window if you have them. If what you are carrying does not fit the sheet above, describe it in your own words and a trader will take it from there.