Hides and Skins: Net sales of 236,100 pieces for 2015, all whole cattle hides, were down 41 percent from the previous week and 37 percent from the prior 4-week average. Increases were reported for China (100,500 pieces), South Korea (90,000 pieces), Taiwan (11,200 pieces), and Mexico (11,000 pieces). Exports of 427,200 pieces were up 18 percent from the previous week and 2 percent from the prior 4-week average. Whole cattle hide exports of 406,600 pieces were primarily to China (295,300 pieces), South Korea (66,700 pieces), Taiwan (18,100 pieces), and Mexico (11,400 pieces).

Net sales of 209,000 wet blues for 2015 were up noticeably from the previous week and from the prior 4-week average. Increases were reported for China (66,300 unsplit and 3,900 grain splits), Vietnam (39,800 unsplit), Mexico (32,800 grain splits and 100 unsplit), and Taiwan (26,000 unsplit and 700 grain splits). Decreases were reported for South Korea (200 grain splits and 100 unsplit) and Canada (100 unsplit). Exports of 132,200 wet blues were primarily to China (33,800 unsplit and 7,700 grain splits), Italy (16,400 unsplit and 7,200 grain splits), Vietnam (18,100 unsplit), and Thailand (11,500 unsplit). Net sales of splits totaling 563,200 pounds for 2015 were for South Korea (456,600 pounds), Hong Kong (100,000 pounds), and China (14,800 pounds). Decreases were reported for Italy (6,800 pounds) and Taiwan (1,400 pounds). Exports of 2,149,100 pounds--a marketing-year high--were reported to South Korea (2,145,900 pounds) and Taiwan (3,200 pounds).