Rooibos

ROOIBOSSpecialty Tea, Coffee & Cocoa4 listed markets

Rooibos is the leaf and fine stem of Aspalathus linearis, a legume shrub that grows only in the Cederberg and surrounding mountains of the Western and Northern Cape in South Africa. The harvested bush is cut, bruised and shredded, then either heaped and wetted so it oxidises to a deep red before drying, or dried immediately so it stays green. It is naturally caffeine free and low in tannin, which is why it is drunk as an everyday hot beverage and used widely in iced tea, infant and hospital catering, and flavoured blends. It is also pressed for extract used in beverages and in cosmetics. The name Rooibos is protected in the European Union as a designation of origin, so product carrying it must be grown and processed in the defined South African production area.

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Listed rooibos markets

Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.

SymbolGradeDelivery pointState

ROOIBOS.CHOICE.ZA-WCChoice-grade rooibosWestern Cape, South AfricaBuys and sells, quoted on request ROOIBOS.GREEN.ZA-WCGreenWestern Cape, South AfricaBuys and sells, quoted on request ROOIBOS.STANDARD.ZA-WCStandard-grade rooibosWestern Cape, South AfricaBuys and sells, quoted on request ROOIBOS.SUPERGRADE.ZA-WCSuper-grade rooibosWestern Cape, South AfricaBuys and sells, quoted on request

Price guarantee on rooibos

If a move in the rooibos price would hurt you, fix the price now. We agree it today for the months you name, and it holds whatever the market does in between.

Buying	You use or resell rooibos and need to know your cost. We fix your purchase price for the quantity and months you name.
Selling	You grow, produce or hold rooibos and need to know your revenue. We fix your sale price ahead of production or shipment.
Settlement	Against delivery of the rooibos.

A price is fixed only once a trader confirms it in writing. Request a fixed price.

Caps and floors on rooibos

A fixed price binds buyer and seller. A cap or a floor is a guaranteed price on one side only. You pay a fee up front for it, and it is a right, not an obligation: you use it only if the market moves against you.

Cap	For buyers. A guaranteed maximum price for rooibos. If the market is above the cap when you buy, you pay the cap. If it is below, you buy at the market price and let the cap lapse.
Floor	For sellers. A guaranteed minimum price for rooibos. If the market is below the floor when you sell, you receive the floor. If it is above, you sell at the market price and let the floor lapse.
Fee	Agreed and paid up front. It is the whole cost of the cap or floor, and it is not refunded if the cap or floor goes unused.

A cap or a floor is in place only once a trader confirms it in writing. Request a cap or a floor.

Grades

Rooibos is graded on colour and oxidation state, on cut and sieve fraction, and on the moisture and microbiological limits set for a product that is pasteurised rather than boiled during manufacture.

Oxidation and colour

6 grades

South African rooibos trade specification, under the Rooibos protected designation of origin registered in the European Union in 2021Whether the shredded material was allowed to oxidise before drying, which determines colour, aroma and the entire commercial identity of the lot.

Grade	Definition
Red rooibosFermented	Heaped and wetted after shredding so it oxidises, then sun dried. Deep red brew. The bulk of production.
Green rooibosUnfermented	Dried immediately after shredding with no oxidation step. Pale brew, higher aspalathin content, priced above red.
Oxidation durationHours	The length of the heap stage, declared on the contract, as it governs how far the colour is taken.
Colour measurementCIELAB L a b on the dry leaf and on a standard infusion	Instrumental colour reading against a reference, used to hold consistency across lots and seasons.
Infusion colourStandard brew comparison	A defined mass brewed for a defined time at a defined temperature and read against a reference infusion.
AspalathinPercentage by mass	The characteristic dihydrochalcone of the plant, highest in green rooibos and reduced by oxidation. Determined by chromatography and stated where the buyer is formulating an extract.

Cut and sieve fraction

7 grades

Sieve analysis on a stacked test sieve series, aperture stated in millimetresParticle size, determined by shaking a weighed sample through a stack of sieves and weighing each retained fraction. Cut governs extraction rate and which packing line the lot can run on.

Grade	Definition
Long cutCoarse, loose leaf	The largest particle, for loose leaf pot brewing and for extract production.
Short cutStandard tea bag cut	The main commercial cut, milled and sifted for high speed bag filling.
Fine cutSmall particle	Faster extraction, used in instant and rapid infusion applications.
Dust and finesPassing the finest sieve	Reported as a percentage of sample mass and contracted to a maximum, because it blinds bag paper and clouds the cup.
Stem contentPercentage by mass	Woody stem left after sifting. Contracted to a maximum.
Bulk densityGrams per litre	Governs fill weight and is stated for automated bag and sachet lines.
Sieve series declarationAperture in millimetres	The contract names the exact apertures and the mass retained on each, so the result is reproducible.

Hygiene and microbiological requirements

8 grades

South African processing practice for steam pasteurised rooibos, tested against destination market limitsRooibos is dried in open air and is brewed below boiling in many applications, so the microbiological result is a contract term rather than an afterthought.

Grade	Definition
Steam pasteurisationDeclared treatment	Whether the lot was steam pasteurised, and the process parameters. Untreated lots are contracted separately.
Total plate countColony forming units per gram	Contracted to a maximum on the delivered lot.
Yeasts and mouldsColony forming units per gram	Contracted to a maximum.
EnterobacteriaceaeColony forming units per gram	Contracted to a maximum.
SalmonellaAbsence in a stated sample mass	Tested per lot, with the certificate travelling with the shipment.
Escherichia coliColony forming units per gram	Contracted to a maximum.
MoistureMaximum percentage by mass	Determined on the delivered lot. The ceiling is set low because the product is baled and shipped from a dry climate into humid destinations.
Water activityAw	Stated where the buyer needs assurance of shelf stability in a humid market.

Composition and origin

9 grades

Laboratory determination and documentary origin verification under the protected designation of originThe analytical profile of the dry leaf and the documentation proving the lot came from the defined production area.

Grade	Definition
Total ashPercentage by mass	Mineral residue after incineration.
Acid insoluble ashPercentage by mass	Effectively sand and soil, which matters because the crop is sun dried on open courts.
Water extractPercentage by mass	The proportion soluble in hot water, the working measure of yield.
CaffeineAbsent	The plant contains no caffeine. Confirmed analytically where the buyer is making a decaffeinated claim.
TanninPercentage by mass	Naturally low. Determined where the buyer is formulating for infant or hospital catering.
Production area verificationDocumentary	The farm, the district and the processing court, evidenced under the protected designation of origin for Rooibos and Red Bush.
Wild harvested or cultivatedDeclared	Wild harvested Cederberg material is contracted and priced separately from cultivated plantation material.
Organic and fair trade certificationCertifier and certificate number	Where contracted, the certificate travels with the lot.
Pesticide residuesMilligrams per kilogram	Tested against destination market maximum residue limits.

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
South Africa	Africa	Origin
Germany	Europe	Destination
Netherlands	Europe	Destination
United Kingdom	Europe	Destination
France	Europe	Destination
Poland	Europe	Destination
Belgium	Europe	Destination
Austria	Europe	Destination
Switzerland	Europe	Destination
Spain	Europe	Destination
Italy	Europe	Destination
Sweden	Europe	Destination
Czechia	Europe	Destination
Russia	Europe	Destination
United States	North America	Destination
Canada	North America	Destination
Japan	East Asia	Destination
South Korea	East Asia	Destination
China	East Asia	Destination
Malaysia	Southeast Asia	Destination
Australia	Oceania	Destination
New Zealand	Oceania	Destination
United Arab Emirates	Middle East	Destination
Namibia	Africa	Destination

Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.

Timing

Harvest is when the crop is taken at origin. Arrival is when a shipment from that origin typically lands in a consuming market. The gap between them is processing, grading and the voyage.

HarvestArrival

Origin	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	Window
South Africa	Harvest	Harvest	Harvest	Harvest and arrival	Arrival	Arrival	Arrival	Arrival					Harvest Jan to Apr, arrival Apr to AugThe Cederberg and Suid Bokkeveld harvest runs through the dry southern summer from January to April, when the bush can be cut and the shredded material sun dried on open courts. Processing, pasteurisation and grading follow within weeks, and graded stock then ships out of Cape Town through the balance of the year.

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 rooibos. 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 heading1211.90 Plants and parts of plants used primarily in pharmacy or perfumery, including rooibos
PackingTea in foil lined paper sacks, plywood chests or corrugated cartons of 20 kg to 60 kg. Green coffee in 60 kg or 69 kg jute bags, or 1 t bulk container liners with GrainPro or equivalent barrier for specialty lots. Cocoa in 62.5 kg or 65 kg jute bags.
Container loading20ft: 18 t to 21 t bagged. 40ft: 24 t to 26 t with a bulk liner. Coffee and cocoa are weight limited, tea is volume limited.
Contract and arbitrationCoffee on the European Coffee Contract or GCA terms with ICE Futures US as the price reference, arbitration under ECF or GCA rules. Cocoa on Federation of Cocoa Commerce or CMAA contracts with FCC arbitration in London. Tea on the rules of the selling auction centre or on the terms of the importing association.
Destination limitsEU pesticide MRLs under Regulation 396/2005, where anthraquinone and glyphosate are the recurring tea failures. Ochratoxin A and aflatoxin limits and cadmium limits on cocoa under Regulation 2023/915. EUDR (Regulation 2023/1115) due diligence with plot geolocation applies to cocoa and coffee. US FDA import alerts apply to pesticide residues and to mould.

Common questions

What grades of rooibos does SIP Global trade?

We quote 30 published grades of rooibos, including Red rooibos - Fermented, Green rooibos - Unfermented, Oxidation duration - Hours, Colour measurement - CIELAB L a b on the dry leaf and on a standard infusion, Infusion colour - Standard brew comparison and Aspalathin - Percentage by mass. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.

How is rooibos graded?

Rooibos is graded on colour and oxidation state, on cut and sieve fraction, and on the moisture and microbiological limits set for a product that is pasteurised rather than boiled during manufacture. Grading runs on 4 systems: Oxidation and colour, Cut and sieve fraction, Hygiene and microbiological requirements and Composition and origin.

Where does SIP Global trade rooibos?

We trade rooibos in South Africa, Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom, France, Poland, Belgium and Austria and 16 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.

When is rooibos harvested and when does it arrive?

Typical windows are South Africa: harvest jan to apr, arrival apr to aug. 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 rooibos?

Rooibos is normally classified under HS 1211.90 (plants and parts of plants used primarily in pharmacy or perfumery, including rooibos). 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.

Can I fix a rooibos price ahead?

Yes. SIP Global fixes a rooibos price ahead for buyers and for sellers, as a price guarantee. Send the grade, the quantity and the months you need covered. We settle against delivery, and a price is fixed only once a trader confirms it in writing.

How do I get a price for rooibos?

Send the grade, the origin and the delivery window to SIP Global. That is enough for a trader to come back with a level and a settlement route. 4 listed rooibos markets are published on this page, each with its full specification and terms. We buy and sell the physical cargo, 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.

UN Comtrade (opens in new tab)Official international trade statistics by HS code
ITC Trade Map (opens in new tab)Bilateral trade flows and tariff data
FAOSTAT (opens in new tab)FAO production and trade series for agricultural commodities