Raw hides are untreated skins removed directly from the animal; pickled hides have been treated with salt and acid to preserve them during transport; and wet-blue hides have undergone chrome tanning to the point of being stabilized but not yet finished. Each processing state may fall under a different HTS subheading and carry different APHIS admissibility requirements, so the degree of processing at the time of export is a critical classification factor.

Hides are a co-product of beef and other livestock slaughter — they cannot be produced independently of meat processing. This means hide availability and domestic prices fluctuate with cattle slaughter rates, seasonal patterns in meat demand, and livestock inventory levels, rather than responding directly to leather market demand. Importers sourcing hides internationally often do so to supplement domestic supply when slaughter volumes are low or when specific quality grades are scarce domestically.