Technically Specified Rubber
Technically specified rubber is natural rubber sold against measured properties rather than against the look of the sheet. Field coagulum or field latex is crumbed, washed, dried and pressed into uniform bales, and every bale carries a test certificate. It is the dominant form of dry natural rubber in world trade and the standard feedstock for tyre manufacture, and it also goes into hose, belting, footwear, seals, adhesives and general moulded goods. Each producing country markets it under its own national scheme, but all of them are written to the same international specification framework.
Listed technically specified rubber markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Technically specified rubber is graded by laboratory test, not by eye. The grade name encodes the dirt content ceiling, and the certificate that travels with the bale carries the full property set.
National technically specified rubber schemes
8 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| SMRStandard Malaysian Rubber | Malaysia, licensed by the Malaysian Rubber Board. |
| STRStandard Thai Rubber | Thailand, licensed by the Rubber Authority of Thailand. |
| SIRStandard Indonesian Rubber | Indonesia, licensed under the national standard. |
| SVRStandard Vietnamese Rubber | Vietnam, licensed under the national standard. |
| ISNRIndian Standard Natural Rubber | India, licensed by the Rubber Board. |
| SLRSri Lanka Rubber | Sri Lanka. |
| SCRStandard Chinese Rubber | China. |
| SIVR and other West African schemesNational technically specified rubber | Ivory Coast and the other West African producing countries, licensed nationally. |
Grades within the schemes
8 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| LLight colour grade, produced from field latex | The premium grade. Made from coagulated field latex, with a Lovibond colour ceiling contracted on top of the property set. Used where the finished article must be light or transparent. |
| CVConstant viscosity, produced from field latex | Viscosity stabilised at production with a stated agent so that Mooney viscosity holds through storage. Contracted as CV50, CV60 or another target, the number being the Mooney target. |
| WFWhole field latex grade | Made from whole field latex without the viscosity stabiliser. |
| 5Dirt content ceiling of five hundredths of one percent | Produced from field latex or from very clean coagulum. |
| 10Dirt content ceiling of ten hundredths of one percent | Produced from field coagulum. The workhorse tyre grade in world trade alongside grade 20. |
| 20Dirt content ceiling of twenty hundredths of one percent | Produced from field coagulum. The largest grade by volume and the reference for the futures markets. |
| 50Dirt content ceiling of fifty hundredths of one percent | The lowest listed grade, for applications where cleanliness is not critical. |
| Raw material declaredField latex, cup lump, tree lace or unsmoked sheet | Two lots can meet the same grade from different raw material and behave differently in the mix. Serious buyers contract the raw material as well as the grade. |
The certified property set
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Dirt retained on 45 micrometre sievePercentage by mass, maximum | ISO 249. The defining property. It is what the grade number states. |
| Ash contentPercentage by mass, maximum | ISO 247. Inorganic residue after ignition. |
| Nitrogen contentPercentage by mass, maximum | ISO 1656. A proxy for protein carried through from the latex. |
| Volatile matterPercentage by mass, maximum | ISO 248. Residual moisture, which drives storage behaviour and weight settlement. |
| Initial plasticity, PoWallace units, minimum | ISO 2007. Rapid plastimeter reading on the unaged sample. |
| Plasticity retention index, PRIPercentage, minimum | ISO 2930. Plasticity after ageing as a percentage of initial plasticity. The property a tyre compounder reads first, because it predicts behaviour in the mixer. |
| Mooney viscosity, ML(1+4)Mooney units, range | ISO 289. Contracted as a range for constant viscosity grades and reported for the rest. |
| Colour indexLovibond units, maximum | ISO 4660. Contracted on the light grades. |
| Accelerated storage hardeningWallace unit rise, maximum | Contracted where the lot will sit before use, because unstabilised rubber hardens in store. |
Presentation and legality
5 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Bale, packing and wrappingDeclared, with the bale mass, the wrap and the pallet or crate | Sixty and thirty three and a third kilogram bales, polyethylene wrapped, shrink wrapped pallets or wooden crates. It is a delivery term and it is priced. |
| Producing factory and licence numberDeclared | The bale mark carries it. It is the entry point for any claim. |
| Lot and certificate referenceDeclared | The test certificate is matched to the bale mark on arrival. |
| Traceability and legality fileDeclared, to plot or to concession | Where the destination is the European Union, the deforestation regulation due diligence file travels with the lot and is part of the deliverable. |
| CertificationCertificate, with the scheme and the certificate number | Forest Stewardship Council, Rainforest Alliance, GPSNR member supply or an organic certification, named on the contract when it is contracted. |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Thailand | Songkhla, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Yala, Rayong | Origin and destination |
| Indonesia | North Sumatra, South Sumatra, Jambi, Riau, Kalimantan | Origin and destination |
| Vietnam | Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh, Dong Nai, Gia Lai, Dak Lak | Origin and destination |
| Malaysia | Johor, Kedah, Perak, Sabah, Sarawak | Origin and destination |
| India | Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Assam | Origin and destination |
| China | Hainan, Yunnan, Guangdong | Origin and destination |
| Ivory Coast | Aboisso, San Pedro, Abidjan, Soubre | Origin and destination |
| Cambodia | Kampong Cham, Tboung Khmum, Ratanakiri, Kratie | Origin and destination |
| Myanmar | Mon, Tanintharyi, Bago | Origin and destination |
| Laos | Luang Namtha, Champasak, Bokeo | Origin and destination |
| Sri Lanka | Kegalle, Ratnapura, Kalutara | Origin and destination |
| Philippines | Zamboanga, Basilan, Cotabato | Origin and destination |
| Nigeria | Delta, Edo, Ondo, Ogun | Origin and destination |
| Liberia | Margibi, Grand Bassa, Bong | Origin and destination |
| Ghana | Western, Central | Origin and destination |
| Cameroon | Southwest, Littoral | Origin and destination |
| Guinea | Forest region | Origin and destination |
| Gabon | Woleu-Ntem, Estuaire | Origin and destination |
| Papua New Guinea | Western, Central | Origin and destination |
| Brazil | Sao Paulo, Mato Grosso, Bahia | Origin and destination |
| Guatemala | Escuintla, Izabal, Suchitepequez | Origin and destination |
| Mexico | Veracruz, Chiapas, Tabasco, Oaxaca | Origin and destination |
| Bangladesh | Chittagong Hill Tracts | Origin and destination |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo, Esmeraldas | Origin and destination |
| United States | South Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee | Destination |
| China | Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang | Destination |
| Japan | Nationwide | Destination |
| South Korea | Nationwide | Destination |
| Germany | Nationwide | Destination |
| France | Nationwide | Destination |
| Italy | Nationwide | Destination |
| Spain | Nationwide | Destination |
| Poland | Nationwide | Destination |
| Romania | Nationwide | Destination |
| Turkiye | Nationwide | Destination |
| Netherlands | Rotterdam | Destination |
| Belgium | Antwerp | Destination |
| Singapore | Nationwide | Destination |
| United Arab Emirates | Jebel Ali | Destination |
| Canada | Nationwide | Destination |
Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.
Timing
Harvest here is the tapping season, when latex or cup lump is drawn from the tree. Arrival is when a shipment from that origin typically lands in a consuming market. The gap between them is crumbing, washing, drying, testing, baling and the voyage.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thailand | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Oct to May, arrival Nov to JunTapping peaks from the late rains into the early dry season, with a wintering break from February to April. Thailand is the largest exporter and the price setting origin. | |||
| Indonesia | 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 DecNear continuous tapping across the equator, with regional monsoon dips. The largest source of grade 20 by volume. |
| Vietnam | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest May to Dec, arrival Jun to JanSeason opens around May and runs to the wintering break early in the year. SVR 10 and SVR 20 are the standard export articles. | |||
| Ivory Coast | 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 DecYear round tapping, and now the largest origin outside Asia. Short voyage to Europe. |
| Malaysia | 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 DecYear round, with a first quarter wintering dip. Malaysia is also a major processor of imported cup lump. |
| India | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Sep to Feb, arrival Oct to MarPeak tapping after the southwest monsoon, largely for domestic consumption. | |||||
| Cambodia | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest May to Dec, arrival Jun to JanWet season into early dry season tapping on young plantation area. | |||
| Myanmar | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jun to Jan, arrival Jul to FebWet into dry season tapping. | |||
| Nigeria | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Mar to Nov, arrival Apr to DecTapping through the wet season, shipped from Lagos and Port Harcourt. | ||
| Guatemala | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest May to Dec, arrival Jun to JanWet season tapping, short voyage into North America. | |||
| Brazil | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Mar to Oct, arrival Apr to NovTapping in the drier months, largely for the domestic tyre industry. | |||
| China | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Apr to Nov, arrival May to DecHainan and Yunnan tap through the warm months into a domestic market that is structurally short. |
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 technically specified rubber. 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 heading4001.22 Technically specified natural rubber (TSNR)
- PackingTSR in 33.33 kg bales, shrink wrapped, on 1.2 t pallets. RSS in 111.11 kg bales. Latex concentrate in flexitanks, IBCs or 205 kg drums with the ammonia content declared.
- Container loading20ft: 20 t of TSR or RSS. Latex concentrate at 20 t to 22 t in a flexitank. Stow away from heat and direct sun.
- Contract and arbitrationInternational Rubber Association contracts, with technical specification under ISO 2000 for TSR and the Green Book visual grading for RSS. SICOM and TOCOM specifications set the deliverable grades. Arbitration under the rules of the rubber trade association at the contract seat.
- Destination limitsEUDR (Regulation 2023/1115) due diligence with plot geolocation applies to natural rubber. EU REACH restricts nitrosamines and PAHs in downstream articles. Latex concentrate carries an ammonia declaration and IMDG classification where the ammonia content requires it.
Common questions
What grades of technically specified rubber does SIP Global trade?
We quote 30 published grades of technically specified rubber, including SMR - Standard Malaysian Rubber, STR - Standard Thai Rubber, SIR - Standard Indonesian Rubber, SVR - Standard Vietnamese Rubber, ISNR - Indian Standard Natural Rubber and SLR - Sri Lanka Rubber. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is technically specified rubber graded?
Technically specified rubber is graded by laboratory test, not by eye. The grade name encodes the dirt content ceiling, and the certificate that travels with the bale carries the full property set. Grading runs on 4 systems: National technically specified rubber schemes, Grades within the schemes, The certified property set and Presentation and legality.
Where does SIP Global trade technically specified rubber?
We trade technically specified rubber in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, India, China, Ivory Coast and Cambodia and 32 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is technically specified rubber harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Thailand: harvest oct to may, arrival nov to jun; Indonesia: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec; Vietnam: harvest may to dec, arrival jun to jan; Ivory Coast: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec; Malaysia: 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 technically specified rubber?
Technically specified rubber is normally classified under HS 4001.22 (technically specified natural rubber (tsnr)). 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 technically specified rubber?
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. 3 listed technically specified rubber markets are 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
- FSCForest Stewardship Council chain of custody
- 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.