Jute
Jute is the bast fibre of Corchorus olitorius, known in the trade as tossa, and Corchorus capsularis, known as white jute. The stems are cut, retted in slow water to loosen the fibre from the woody core, then stripped, washed and dried. It is long, soft for a bast fibre and highly biodegradable, and it is the cheapest natural fibre in volume after cotton. Jute goes into sacking and hessian for agricultural produce, carpet backing, geotextiles, twine and rope, industrial yarn, and increasingly into composite panels and moulded parts where a low density plant reinforcement replaces glass fibre. The woody core removed in stripping is sold separately as jute stick.
Listed jute markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Jute is contracted on the national grading systems of the producing countries, which sort fibre by strength, colour, root content and defect into lettered grades, supported by instrument measurement of strength, fineness and moisture.
Fibre identity and species
3 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Botanical speciesDeclared | Corchorus olitorius, tossa, which is finer, stronger and darker, or Corchorus capsularis, white jute, which is whiter and coarser. Meshta or kenaf, Hibiscus cannabinus, is a related allied fibre traded on parallel rules and it is named separately when it is what is on offer. |
| Retting methodDeclared | Slow water retting in tanks or ponds, ribbon retting, or mechanical or chemical retting. It sets the colour, the softness and the residual bark. |
| CutDeclared | Whether the lot is full length fibre or cuttings, the hard rooty butt ends removed from the top grades and traded separately for paper and board. |
Bangladesh national grading
15 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| BTABangladesh Tossa A | The top tossa grade. Strong, lustrous, well retted, uniform in colour, free of runners, specks and hard root. |
| BTBBangladesh Tossa B | Strong and lustrous, with slight defect and a trace of root permitted. |
| BTCBangladesh Tossa C | Good strength, less lustre, some off shade and a limited proportion of root and defect. |
| BTDBangladesh Tossa D | Average strength, mixed colour, more root, specks and hard centre permitted. |
| BTEBangladesh Tossa E | Weak, off colour and heavily rooted. The bottom of the tossa ladder. |
| BWABangladesh White A | The top white jute grade. Strong, clean, well retted and light in colour. |
| BWBBangladesh White B | Strong, with slight defect and a trace of root. |
| BWCBangladesh White C | Good strength with limited root and defect. |
| BWDBangladesh White D | Average strength, mixed colour, more root and defect. |
| BWEBangladesh White E | Weak and heavily rooted. |
| BTCABangladesh Tossa Cuttings A | The better cuttings grade, the rooty butt ends removed from the top tossa lines. |
| BTCBBangladesh Tossa Cuttings B | The lower cuttings grade. |
| BWCABangladesh White Cuttings A | The better white jute cuttings grade. |
| BWCBBangladesh White Cuttings B | The lower white jute cuttings grade. |
| Meshta gradesNamed on the contract | Hibiscus cannabinus fibre, graded on the same principles and traded as an allied fibre. |
Indian national grading
13 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| TD1Tossa Daisee one | The finest Indian tossa grade. Strong, lustrous, well retted, root free. |
| TD2Tossa Daisee two | Strong and lustrous with slight defect. |
| TD3Tossa Daisee three | Good strength, some off shade and limited root. |
| TD4Tossa Daisee four | Average strength, mixed colour, more root and defect. |
| TD5Tossa Daisee five | Weaker, off colour, heavily rooted. |
| TD6Tossa Daisee six | Weakest of the tossa ladder. |
| W1White one | The finest white jute grade. |
| W2White two | Strong with slight defect. |
| W3White three | Good strength with limited root. |
| W4White four | Average strength and mixed colour. |
| W5White five | Weaker and heavily rooted. |
| Mesta gradesNamed on the contract | Hibiscus cannabinus, graded separately. |
| CuttingsNamed on the contract | The rooty butt fraction removed from the graded lines. |
Physical and mechanical measurement
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Fibre strengthGrams force per tex or newtons per tex, minimum | Bundle tenacity determined on a conditioned sample. It is the physical basis under the lettered grade. |
| Fibre finenessTex or denier | Determined gravimetrically under ISO 1973. Finer jute spins to a lighter fabric. |
| Fibre lengthMetres, declared as a range | Reed length measured on the straightened fibre. |
| Root contentPercentage by mass, maximum | Hard woody butt material. The single largest downgrading defect in the ladder. |
| Defect contentPercentage by mass, maximum | Specks, runners, hard centre and croppy ends, weighed after separation. |
| Moisture contentPercentage by mass, maximum | Measured at the standard atmosphere. Jute is bought at a contractual regain. |
| Batching oilPercentage by mass, declared | Emulsion applied before spinning to soften the fibre. It is a contract term because food grade sacking restricts what may be used. |
| Colour and lustreAgainst the reference sample | Golden to grey for tossa, cream to light brown for white. Retting water quality sets it and it cannot be corrected downstream. |
| Bark and cuttings contentPercentage by mass, maximum | Unstripped bark surviving the wash. |
Delivery, packing and certification
10 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Baling and packingDeclared, with the bale weight and the pack material | Pressed bales, hydraulic bales, hanks or bundles, with the wrapping named. Synthetic wrap is excluded where contamination is a contract term. |
| Marking and lot identityDeclared | Bale marks, lot number and the test certificate number, tied to the sample retained by both parties. |
| Test certificateCertificate, with the issuing house | An independent test house certificate is the contract document in this trade and the lot is settled against it. |
| Sampling methodDeclared | Core sampling, grab sampling or full lot testing, with the number of bales sampled written into the contract. |
| Fumigation and phytosanitary treatmentDeclared, with the certificate | Named where the destination requires it for a plant or animal origin fibre. |
| CertificationCertificate, with the scheme and the certificate number | Organic, Responsible Wool, Responsible Alpaca, Responsible Mohair, Fairtrade or a private buyer standard, named on the contract when it is contracted. |
| Clip or crop yearDeclared | The shearing season or the harvest year, recorded with the lot. |
| Bale pressingDeclared, with the bale weight | Kutcha or pucca pressed bales, wrapped in hessian. |
| Food grade declarationDeclared, with the batching oil specification | Required where the sacking is destined for cocoa, coffee or grain in direct contact. |
| Fumigation and phytosanitary certificateDeclared, with the certificate | Named where the destination requires it. |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | Faridpur, Jessore, Rangpur, Dhaka and Mymensingh | Origin and destination |
| India | West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh | Origin and destination |
| China | Henan, Anhui and Guangdong | Origin and destination |
| Nepal | the eastern Terai | Origin and destination |
| Myanmar | Ayeyarwady and Bago | Origin and destination |
| Thailand | the Northeast, kenaf and allied fibre | Origin and destination |
| Uzbekistan | the Fergana valley, kenaf | Origin and destination |
| Brazil | Amazonas and Para | Origin and destination |
| Turkey | Istanbul, Gaziantep and Kahramanmaras | Destination |
| Pakistan | Karachi and Punjab | Destination |
| Iran | Tehran and Isfahan | Destination |
| Egypt | Alexandria and the Delta | Destination |
| Ivory Coast | Abidjan and San Pedro, cocoa and coffee sacking | Destination |
| Ghana | Tema and Takoradi, cocoa sacking | Destination |
| Ethiopia | Addis Ababa and the coffee belt | Destination |
| Kenya | Nairobi and Mombasa | Destination |
| United States | Georgia and the Southeast carpet backing cluster | Destination |
| United Kingdom | England, geotextile and packaging | Destination |
| Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony | Destination |
| Netherlands | Rotterdam and the distribution cluster | Destination |
| Belgium | Antwerp and the Flemish carpet cluster | Destination |
| Spain | Catalonia and Valencia | Destination |
| Italy | Lombardy and Tuscany | Destination |
| Vietnam | Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh City | Destination |
| Indonesia | Java and Sumatra | Destination |
| Japan | Osaka and Aichi | Destination |
| Australia | New South Wales and Queensland | Destination |
| Brazil | Sao Paulo and Bahia, coffee and cocoa sacking | Destination |
| Colombia | Antioquia and the coffee axis | Destination |
| Peru | Lima and the coffee regions | Destination |
| United Arab Emirates | Jebel Ali, re-export and packaging | Destination |
Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.
Timing
Harvest is when the fibre is shorn, cut or retted at origin. Arrival is when a shipment from that origin typically lands in a consuming market. The gap between them is classing, testing, baling and the voyage.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jun to Sep, arrival Sep to FebCut from June through September as the monsoon fills the retting water, then retted, stripped, washed and dried before baling. The new crop presses from September and it is the pivot of the calendar. | |||
| India | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jun to Sep, arrival Sep to FebThe same monsoon calendar in West Bengal and Assam, with Andhra Pradesh running slightly earlier. | |||
| Nepal | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jul to Sep, arrival Oct to JanA short eastern Terai crop on the Bangladeshi calendar, moving out through Indian ports. | |||||
| Myanmar | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jul to Sep, arrival Oct to JanMonsoon cut and retted, with a smaller and later flow than the main South Asian crop. | |||||
| China | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Aug to Oct, arrival Oct to JanA later crop, largely consumed domestically, with the surplus moving in the fourth quarter. |
Windows outside this pattern trade on request, including carry, forward positions and stock already sitting in a destination warehouse.
Customs, packing and contract terms
Indicative terms for jute. 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 heading5303.10 Jute and other textile bast fibres, raw or retted
5303.90 Jute and other textile bast fibres, processed but not spun - PackingCompressed bales. Jute and sisal at 180 kg to 250 kg, animal fibre at 100 kg to 300 kg pressed under hessian or polypropylene wrap, silk in cartons. Bale identification must carry the lot and the test certificate number.
- Container loading20ft: 10 t to 18 t depending on bale density. Wool, cashmere and other animal fibres are volume limited well before weight.
- Contract and arbitrationIWTO Blue Book terms with IWTO core test certificates and arbitration under IWTO rules for wool and fine animal hair. Plant fibres on the contract of the origin trade association or on CIF terms with arbitration at the named seat.
- Destination limitsPhytosanitary certification for plant fibres under Regulation 2016/2031 and veterinary health certification for animal fibre under Regulation 2016/429 and Regulation 142/2011. EU REACH restrictions on residual dyes, biocides and azo colourants. CITES prohibits trade in shahtoosh and controls vicuna.
Common questions
What grades of jute does SIP Global trade?
We quote 50 published grades of jute, including Botanical species - Declared, Retting method - Declared, Cut - Declared, BTA - Bangladesh Tossa A, BTB - Bangladesh Tossa B and BTC - Bangladesh Tossa C. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is jute graded?
Jute is contracted on the national grading systems of the producing countries, which sort fibre by strength, colour, root content and defect into lettered grades, supported by instrument measurement of strength, fineness and moisture. Grading runs on 5 systems: Fibre identity and species, Bangladesh national grading, Indian national grading, Physical and mechanical measurement and Delivery, packing and certification.
Where does SIP Global trade jute?
We trade jute in Bangladesh, India, China, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Brazil and 23 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is jute harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Bangladesh: harvest jun to sep, arrival sep to feb; India: harvest jun to sep, arrival sep to feb; Nepal: harvest jul to sep, arrival oct to jan; Myanmar: harvest jul to sep, arrival oct to jan; China: harvest aug to oct, arrival oct to jan. 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 jute?
Jute is normally classified under HS 5303.10 (jute and other textile bast fibres, raw or retted) and HS 5303.90 (jute and other textile bast fibres, processed but not spun). 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 jute?
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 jute 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
- IPPCInternational Plant Protection Convention phytosanitary measures
- 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.