Goat Skin
Goatskins are the skins of the domestic goat, taken at slaughter and prized for a tight, fine grain and a strength to thickness ratio that no bovine hide matches. Tanned goatskin becomes glace kid and morocco leather for dress footwear uppers and linings, gloves, handbags, wallets and bookbinding, and it remains the traditional substrate for high grade leather goods where a light, supple, strong material is needed. The skins are small, so they are traded and priced by the piece and by area rather than by weight, and they move in large counts. Supply is pastoral and smallholder in character, drawn from the goat populations of south Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and it reaches the international market mostly as pickled skins, as chrome tanned wet blue or as crust.
Listed goat skin markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
A goatskin contract turns on the origin type and the tannage, the area of the individual skin, and a defect count taken over a small cutting area where a single scar removes a large share of the usable surface.
Substrate, tannage and state of processing
7 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Species and typeDeclared | Domestic goat or kid, and the regional type where the trade recognises one. Kid skins are contracted separately for the finer grain. |
| Preservation or tannageDeclared | Wet salted, dry salted, air dried, pickled, chrome tanned wet blue, vegetable tanned or crust. Pickled and wet blue are the standard international trading forms. |
| Tanning agentDeclared | Chrome, chrome free, vegetable, aldehyde or combination. Glove and garment leather is often aldehyde or combination tanned. |
| Hair stateDeclared | Hair on, dehaired or limed. Hair on skins face animal health restrictions at several destinations. |
| Split stateDeclared | Full substance or shaved to a stated thickness. Goatskin is usually shaved rather than split because of the substance. |
| Grain side conditionDeclared | Full grain, corrected grain or buffed. Full grain material is the premium and it is contracted as such. |
| Pickle liquor conditionDeclared, for pickled goods | The acid and salt content of the pickle and the presence of a fungicide. It governs how long the skins hold before tanning. |
Selection, size and substance
5 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| AreaSquare feet or square decimetres, per skin | Measured on a calibrated measuring machine. Goatskin trades by area per piece and the measured figure printed on the skin is the settlement figure. |
| Area selectionDeclared, as the named area band | Skins are sorted into area bands and each band is priced separately. The band limits are written into the contract in the same unit as the measurement. |
| SubstanceMillimetres, measured at the stated position | Determined under ISO 2589. Shaved substance for wet blue and crust is a tight tolerance because it decides the article the skin can make. |
| Weight per dozenKilograms, for raw and pickled goods | Raw and pickled skins are still traded by weight per dozen in several origins. The count and the weight are both stated. |
| Piece count per bale or palletCount | Skins ship in counted bundles. The count on the packing list is the settlement count. |
Grading and defect assessment
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| GradeDeclared, as the named grade within the stated ladder | Graded on a lighted table by the number and position of defects in the cutting area, from a clean first selection to a lowest selection carrying open damage. |
| Scratch and thorn damageCount, and depth as grain deep or through | Browsing goats scar heavily. This is the dominant defect in goatskin and it drives the grade more than any other term. |
| Grain break and loosenessAssessed on the lighted table | The fineness of the break when the skin is folded grain inward. A coarse break shows in a finished upper and it cannot be corrected. |
| Pox, mange and parasite scarringCount and position | Pitting across the neck and flank from goat pox and mange. It is common in pastoral supply and it prints through finishing. |
| Flay cuts and holesCount, and length or size | Hand flaying at village slaughter leaves cuts. On a small skin a single cut through the butt can drop the grade two steps. |
| Vein marksAssessed on the lighted table | Blood vessel patterning in the flesh side showing through the grain, worse where the animal was not bled promptly. |
| Salt stain and heat damageAssessed on inspection | Stains from the cure and horny patches from ground drying in direct sun. Neither corrects in tanning. |
| Putrefaction and hair slipAssessed on inspection | Bacterial damage from delayed curing. It is a rejection rather than a discount. |
| Shaving evennessMillimetres, as the range across the skin | On wet blue and crust, the variation in shaved substance across the piece. An uneven shave wastes the skin at cutting. |
Chemical and physical analysis
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Chromic oxidePercentage by mass, on the dry weight | Determined under ISO 5398. It is the direct measure of how much chrome the hide has taken and it separates a properly tanned wet blue from an under tanned one. |
| Shrinkage temperatureDegrees Celsius | Determined under ISO 3380. The temperature at which the collagen contracts in water. It is the single most reliable check that the tannage is complete. |
| MoisturePercentage by mass | Determined by oven drying under the IUC method. It governs storage life and it is the difference between a shipped weight and a landed weight. |
| pH and difference figurepH units, measured on an aqueous extract | Determined under ISO 4045. A low pH with a large difference figure indicates free acid that will damage the fibre in storage. |
| Matter soluble in dichloromethanePercentage by mass | Determined under ISO 4048. The fat and oil content, which governs how the material takes further processing. |
| Water soluble matterPercentage by mass | Determined under ISO 4098. Unfixed salts and tanning agents that migrate and bloom on the surface. |
| Chromium VIMilligrams per kilogram, maximum | Determined under ISO 17075. Restricted in leather articles placed on several markets, and tested on arrival rather than taken on trust. |
| FormaldehydeMilligrams per kilogram, maximum | Determined under ISO 17226. Restricted for articles in contact with the skin and for childrens articles. |
| Restricted substancesMilligrams per kilogram, maximum, by named substance | Azo dyes releasing restricted amines, pentachlorophenol, dimethyl fumarate and the substances named on the buyer restricted substances list. |
Delivery, documentation and certification
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| PackingDeclared | Palletised and strapped, bundled in packs of a stated count, or drummed. The pack count and the pallet weight are written into the contract. |
| Weight basisDeclared | Shipped weight or landed weight, gross or net of salt, with the survey house named. Weight loss in transit is a normal feature of salted goods and the basis settles who carries it. |
| Veterinary health certificateCertificate, issued by the competent authority of the exporting country | Hides and skins are animal by-products and they move under veterinary control. The certificate names the approved establishment and the treatment applied. |
| Establishment approvalApproval number, issued by the destination authority | European Union approval number or the equivalent registration at the destination, named on the contract where it is required. |
| Convention permitPermit, issued by the exporting country management authority | Required for listed reptile species. The permit number, the species and the piece tags travel with the shipment. |
| TraceabilityDeclared, with the abattoir or collection point named | Country of origin, abattoir and the tannery of processing. Increasingly a contract term rather than a courtesy, because the finished goods brands audit it. |
| Tannery audit and certificationCertificate, with the scheme and rating | Leather Working Group rating, chemical management certification or organic certification, named on the contract when it is contracted. |
| Container and carrying conditionDeclared | Ventilated or reefer stuffing, the carrying temperature and the humidity control. Wet blue and salted goods spoil in a hot container. |
| Restricted substance complianceDeclared, against the named list | Compliance with the destination chemical restrictions and with the buyer restricted substances list, evidenced by test report. |
Grades outside this list trade on request. Send us the contract specification you work to and we will price against it.
Locations
| Country | Region | We trade it as |
|---|---|---|
| India | Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Punjab | Origin and destination |
| Pakistan | Punjab, Sindh and the Karachi tanning cluster | Origin and destination |
| Bangladesh | Dhaka, Savar and the Hazaribagh and Hemayetpur tanneries | Origin and destination |
| Nigeria | Kano, Sokoto and the northern skin trade | Origin and destination |
| Ethiopia | Addis Ababa, Modjo and the highland skin trade | Origin and destination |
| Sudan | Khartoum, Omdurman and the Kordofan pastoral belt | Origin and destination |
| Somalia | Berbera, Bosaso and the Somali pastoral belt | Origin and destination |
| Kenya | Nairobi, Nakuru and the Athi River tanneries | Origin and destination |
| Mali | Bamako, Mopti and the Niger delta pastoral belt | Origin and destination |
| Niger | Maradi, Zinder and the Sahel pastoral belt | Origin and destination |
| Chad | Ndjamena and the Sahel pastoral belt | Origin and destination |
| Egypt | Cairo, the Robbiki leather city and Upper Egypt | Origin and destination |
| Morocco | Fes, Marrakech and the Casablanca tanning cluster | Origin and destination |
| Saudi Arabia | Riyadh and the Gulf pastoral trade | Origin and destination |
| Iran | Tabriz, Mashhad and the Qom tanning cluster | Origin and destination |
| China | Hebei, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Shandong | Origin and destination |
| Vietnam | Ho Chi Minh City and the southern tanning and footwear cluster | Origin and destination |
| Thailand | Samut Prakan and the Bangkok tanning belt | Origin and destination |
| Indonesia | West Java, Central Java and the Sidoarjo cluster | Origin and destination |
| Turkiye | Tuzla, Corlu, Izmir and Usak | Origin and destination |
| Italy | Arzignano, Santa Croce sull Arno, Solofra and the Veneto tanning districts | Origin and destination |
| Spain | Igualada, Ubrique and the Levante tanneries | Origin and destination |
| France | Annonay, Graulhet and the Millau skin trade | Origin and destination |
| Germany | Rhineland and Bavaria tanning and automotive leather | Origin and destination |
| Portugal | Alcanena and the northern footwear cluster | Origin and destination |
| United Kingdom | Northamptonshire, the Scottish borders and the West Country | Origin and destination |
| Netherlands | Rotterdam trade and Brabant tanning | Origin and destination |
| Romania | Footwear and leather goods manufacture | Destination |
| Tunisia | Footwear and leather goods manufacture for the European market | Destination |
| Mexico | Leon and the Guanajuato leather cluster | Origin and destination |
| Brazil | Rio Grande do Sul, Sao Paulo, Parana and the Centre West | Origin and destination |
| Japan | Himeji, Tatsuno and the Tokyo leather goods trade | Destination |
| South Korea | Busan and the Seoul leather goods trade | Destination |
| Hong Kong | Trading, re-export and the Greater China supply chain | Destination and trading hub |
| Singapore | Regional trading, finance and re-export | Trading and finance |
| United Arab Emirates | Dubai re-export and Gulf consumption | Destination |
| Switzerland | Luxury goods manufacture and the Geneva trade | Destination |
Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.
Timing
Harvest is when the hides and skins come off the killing floor at origin, which follows the slaughter calendar rather than a crop season. Arrival is when a shipment from that origin typically lands in a consuming market. The gap between them is curing or tanning, veterinary clearance and the voyage.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecCollection runs year round with a lift around the festival slaughter. Kanpur, Chennai and Ambur convert to pickled skins, wet blue and crust. |
| Pakistan | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecCollection lifts sharply around the Eid al Adha slaughter, which moves through the calendar each year, and the Karachi tanneries run on that stock afterwards. |
| Nigeria | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecThe Sokoto red skin trade out of the northern markets, heaviest in the dry season and around the festival calendar. |
| Ethiopia | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecHighland skins moving through Modjo and Addis Ababa, lifting around the major religious festivals. |
| Sudan | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecPastoral slaughter across the year with the dry season giving the most reliable curing conditions. |
| Bangladesh | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecThe Black Bengal skin is collected year round with a heavy lift at the Eid al Adha slaughter, and it converts at Savar and Hemayetpur. |
| China | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecA processing origin as much as a producing one, buying pickled and wet blue skins from several continents and shipping crust and finished leather out. |
| Turkiye | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecTuzla and Usak convert imported and domestic skins into crust and finished leather for the European market. |
Windows outside this pattern trade on request, including carry, forward positions and material already sitting in a destination warehouse.
Customs, packing and contract terms
Indicative terms for goat skin. Tariff classification is the importer’s responsibility and limits change, so confirm both against the destination customs authority and the current regulation before you fix a contract.
- HS heading4103.90 Raw hides and skins of goats or kids
4106.21 Tanned goat or kid skin leather in the wet state
4106.22 Tanned goat or kid skin leather in the dry state (crust) - PackingWet salted hides bundled on pallets with the salt percentage declared, wet blue on 1 t pallets under shrink wrap, dry salted and crust in bales. Salt content and trim standard are the two clauses that decide claims.
- Container loading20ft: 18 t to 22 t wet salted. 40ft for palletised wet blue at around 24 t. Ventilated or reefer stow on long transits to control putrefaction.
- Contract and arbitrationInternational Council of Hides, Skins and Leather Traders Associations contracts, or the terms of the origin association, with arbitration under ICHSLTA rules or at the contract seat. Selection, trim and take-off standard defined at the point of contract.
- Destination limitsVeterinary health certification under Regulation 2016/429 and animal by-product rules under Regulation 142/2011, CITES permits for reptile, ostrich and other listed species, EU REACH restriction of chromium VI at 3 mg/kg in leather articles, and US Lacey Act and Endangered Species Act controls.
Common questions
What grades of goat skin does SIP Global trade?
We quote 39 published grades of goat skin, including Species and type - Declared, Preservation or tannage - Declared, Tanning agent - Declared, Hair state - Declared, Split state - Declared and Grain side condition - Declared. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is goat skin graded?
A goatskin contract turns on the origin type and the tannage, the area of the individual skin, and a defect count taken over a small cutting area where a single scar removes a large share of the usable surface. Grading runs on 5 systems: Substrate, tannage and state of processing, Selection, size and substance, Grading and defect assessment, Chemical and physical analysis and Delivery, documentation and certification.
Where does SIP Global trade goat skin?
We trade goat skin in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia and Kenya and 29 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is goat skin harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are India: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec; Pakistan: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec; Nigeria: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec; Ethiopia: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec; Sudan: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec. Harvest is when the lot is taken at origin, arrival is when a shipment from that origin lands in a consuming market. Windows outside this pattern, including carry, trade on request.
What is the HS code for goat skin?
Goat skin is normally classified under HS 4103.90 (raw hides and skins of goats or kids), HS 4106.21 (tanned goat or kid skin leather in the wet state) and HS 4106.22 (tanned goat or kid skin leather in the dry state (crust)). The heading follows the form the goods are in at the border, and national tariffs extend it beyond six digits, so confirm the full line with the destination customs authority before you fix a contract.
How do I get a price for goat skin?
Send the grade, the origin and the delivery window to the SIP Global desk. That is enough for a trader to come back with a level and a settlement route. 1 listed goat skin market is published on this page, each with its full specification and terms. We take both sides, physical and financial, prompt to long dated.
Standards and data sources
The grading language on this sheet follows published standards. Trade volumes and tariff lines are public record. Verify anything here against the source.
- ISOInternational Organization for Standardization
- UN ComtradeOfficial international trade statistics by HS code
- ITC Trade MapBilateral trade flows and tariff data
- FAOSTATFAO production and trade series for agricultural commodities
Price this with our desk
Grade, origin and window if you have them. If what you are carrying does not fit the sheet above, describe it in your own words and a trader will take it from there.