Market Report 10.04.2026

What happened this week

The week after Easter has come and gone, and in our case it was once again a short one, as Monday was a public holiday. As everyone is now aware, there is a so-called ceasefire in the conflict in the Gulf region, but it has very quickly become clear that this does not necessarily lead to the outcomes that the US President, in particular, had hoped for. As a result, the situation in the Middle East remains a near-daily talking point in the news, with consequent effects on the financial and commodities markets. It is now very clear, both in Europe and on overseas markets, that the high level of uncertainty is likely to be a greater factor affecting the markets than the facts themselves. However, the financial markets remain relatively unfazed by the uncertain overall situation. Although energy prices are rising to varying degrees for businesses and individuals in different countries, ultimately they are rising everywhere, with the corresponding impact on sentiment and cost calculations. It simply takes a certain amount of time for everyone to form a clear picture of what impact energy prices might have on their entire supply chain and consumption. It is rather unlikely that any reliable conclusion can be reached, despite all the analysis. In such phases, it is hardly surprising that decisions regarding the procurement of raw materials and production are postponed as far and for as long as possible. This is also reflected in our market, where, although we did not expect much activity after Easter, this week can safely be largely written off and described as inactive. In particular, the overseas markets, which we had actually regarded as more reliable in recent weeks, have been disappointing this week. In China, falling prices for lime splits appear to be weighing particularly heavily, as well as dampening sentiment and affecting cost calculations. The weaker USD had also to be recognized and asking prices and revenues got more difficult to debate. In short, sentiment in the industrial mass production of leather has deteriorated rather than improved, and it remains the niche and specialist sectors – which are less affected, or not at all, by the general circumstances – and so remain relatively untouched by the market sentiments. However, these small volumes do not really determine the market. For sales this week, this meant that only small deals were concluded, and these were concentrated in Europe and, as ever, on the famous specialities. Otherwise, the situation was such that one could not even get annoyed about bids being too low, as there simply were none.