U.S. EXPORT SALES FOR WEEK ENDING 5/16/2013 

Hides and Skins:  Net sales of 484,500 pieces reported for delivery in 2013 were up 14 percent from the previous week and 21 percent from the prior 4-week average.  Whole cattle hide sales of 487,700 pieces were primarily for China (307,100 pieces, including 1,600 pieces switched from South Korea and decreases of 2,200 pieces), South Korea (105,100 pieces), Taiwan (43,000 pieces), Vietnam (17,900 pieces), and Mexico (9,400 pieces).  Exports of 443,000 pieces were down 4 percent from the previous week, but up 1 percent from the prior 4-week average.  Whole cattle exports of 433,900 pieces were primarily to China (307,800 pieces), South Korea (61,800 pieces), Taiwan (19,800 pieces), Mexico (12,600 pieces), and Thailand (12,200 pieces).     

Net sales of 44,700 wet blues for 2013--a marketing-year low--were primarily for Mexico (15,700 grain splits and 100 unsplit), China (13,500 unsplit), Thailand (8,700 unsplit), and Italy (8,000 unsplit).  Decreases were reported for South Korea (6,300 grain splits and 4,500 unsplit) and Turkey (1,000 unsplit).  Exports of 140,700 hides were primarily to Italy (56,000 unsplit), China (33,200 unsplit), Mexico (18,700 grain splits and 1,100 unsplit), and Vietnam (8,100 unsplit).  Net sales of splits totaling 1,598,400 pounds--a marketing-year high--were for South Korea (1,552,900 pounds), Italy (34,100 pounds), Taiwan (14,200 pounds).  Decreases were reported for China (1,800 pounds) and Hong Kong (1,000 pounds).   Exports of 997,300 pounds were to Taiwan (626,400 pounds), South Korea (224,500 pounds), Hong Kong (100,000 pounds), China (42,200 pounds), and Italy (4,200 pounds).