The aim of this article is to study and to analyze the raw hide resources in Latvia and their handling. The structure of hide and the composition of its fibers are described and studied, which is exposed to the experimental testing by different chemical substances. As a main problem the possibility of storage of raw hide is examined in industrial places and in slaughterhouses of Latvia. Within the framework of that work it is planned to make a classification of the larger slaughterhouses, which are also operating as a potential suppliers of raw hide for the hide plants in Europe and Latvia. Leather goods are not only luxurious objects of interior, dress and of accessories, but also one of the eldest manufactures in a human history. In the worldwide the fact is proved, that raw hide of animals has been not only the first clothes for a men, but also a raw material for the production of such various objects and manufactures that, for example, tents, boats, containers for storage of liquids, weapons and shields. With the gradual development of technologies, raw hide was handled to furs and tanned skin. Currently in Latvia only one raw hide handling factory is still active – A/S Ritales. In the hide production A/S Ritales is handling only raw hide from Latvia’s livestock, mainly the hide of cattle. The plant is doing only the preprocessing of raw hide. For further treatment hides are exported to another ES states. If it is possible to provide the A/S Ritale with the raw hide material accessible in Latvia, it would be possible to expand the export of processed leather. All leather commodities are made from previously handled animals’ hide. The most popular are skins of bulls, cows, horses, calves, goats, foals and sheep. The skin which is taken off from animal and is not processed yet ones used to term as raw hide. Raw hide is unsteadily and quickly yields to rotting, therefore becomes useless for the production of leather commodities. For this reason raw hide previously must be treated so that it becomes soft, elastic, waterproof and resistant to rotting. Such treatment of hide, the aim of which is to make it useful for production of goods, is terming as hide tanning. The largest groups of raw hide export and import are studied in a period of time from 2001 till 2008 in Latvia. The largest countries of raw hide and tanned hide export and import are accounted in the mentioned period. A basic experiment is worked with the aim to determine the fibers of raw hide. Within the framework of experiment it is necessary to improve the method of determination of elastin fibers. In the future it is necessary to analyze the interrelation between the changes in the structure of raw hide derma and the different hide storage temperatures. It is also necessary to study the composition of raw hide collagen fibers and the durability after tanning.