01 · Summary.
Carve is a coir fibre supplier for Europe from Brazil: it ships brown mixed coir fibre in pressed bales from the Port of Pecém, Ceará, the nearest container port to its plant in Paraipaba. Coir fibre under HS 5305 enters the EU and the UK at 0 % duty, and the EU does not require a phytosanitary certificate for it. Offers are FOB Pecém per 40' high-cube container.[1][2][3]
Ceará already ships coir to the Netherlands under this heading; the monthly series is in Brazil coir fibre exports.[7] For coir pith, blocks and growing media into Europe, see Import coir from Brazil to Europe.
02 · Import duty and plant health.
| Item | European Union | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Tariff line | CN 5305 00 00 | 5305000000 |
| Import duty, Brazilian origin | 0 % (third-country duty, all origins) | 0 % (third-country duty) |
| EU–Mercosur interim agreement | Provisionally applied from 1 May 2026; no change for HS 5305, already duty-free | Not applicable |
| Phytosanitary certificate | Not required: HS 5305 is not listed in Annex XI Part A of Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 | Confirm with your broker; MAPA issues a certificate on request |
| Waste import control | Declare document code Y923 ("not waste") on the entry | Declare document code Y923 on the entry |
| Import VAT | National rate of the importing member state | 20 % |
Duties and measures change: confirm the rate for HS 5305 of Brazilian origin with your customs broker before ordering. Sources: EU TARIC,[1] UK Trade Tariff,[2] Regulation (EU) 2019/2072,[3] European Commission on the EU–Mercosur interim agreement.[4]
03 · Transit from Pecém to European ports.
Pecém has direct container services to North European ports. On a North Europe sailing reported by the Pecém port complex in August 2020, the ship left Pecém on 30 August and was due in Rotterdam, its first European call, by 10 September; the report lists the later calls as below.[5] Schedules change with the service and with transshipment, so the carrier's booking confirms the actual sailing.
| European port | Days after leaving Pecém | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Rotterdam, Netherlands | ~11 | First European call: departure 30 Aug, arrival due by 10 Sep |
| London, United Kingdom | 14 | Next call after Rotterdam |
| Bremerhaven, Germany | 16 | |
| Hamburg, Germany | 18 | |
| Antwerp, Belgium | 20 | |
| Le Havre, France | 22 | |
| Sines, Portugal | 25 | |
| Gdańsk, Poland, and other Baltic ports | Per carrier quotation | Usually by transshipment; no published figure |
Figures as published by the Pecém port complex for that 2020 sailing; not a current schedule. Where no figure is published, the table says so.
The Port of Rotterdam Authority has held a 30 % share in the Pecém port-industrial complex since 2018.[6]
04 · Which European buyers this fibre suits.
| Buyer | What they need from the fibre | Fit with Carve fibre |
|---|---|---|
| Erosion-control mat and log makers (needle-punched and stitched blankets, coir logs) | Loose raw brown fibre in bales, long and strong; EC not relevant | Yes. Natural grade |
| Needle-punch and mattress-pad converters | Loose mixed/mattress fibre, consistent moisture and cleanliness | Yes. Natural grade |
| Growing-media producers and substrate traders | Fibre as the structural fraction of a mix; EC and pH per lot | Yes. Washed or Buffered grade |
| Rubberized-coir makers | Curled (twisted) coir rope | Loose fibre only; curling is done by the converter or its supplier |
| Brush and broom makers | Combed bristle fibre sorted by length | No. Carve fibre is not combed |
What Carve supplies: loose, baled brown mixed fibre. It does not supply twisted or curled rope, bristle, yarn or white fibre. Grade names are explained in Coir fibre grades; use-specific pages: fibre for erosion-control manufacturers and mattress coir fibre.
05 · Incoterms, documents and payment.
- Incoterm: FOB Port of Pecém. CFR on request through our forwarder.
- Documents: commercial invoice, packing list with bale count and gross and net weights, bill of lading, certificate of origin issued in Ceará by the state industry federation's international centre, and the lot report.[9] A phytosanitary certificate is issued by MAPA on request, although the EU does not require one for HS 5305; a fumigation certificate only where required.[8]
- Payment: agreed per order; usual structures are an advance with the balance against documents, or a letter of credit for recurring contracts.
- Loading: export bales of 100–130 kg, floor-loaded in a 40' HC, no pallets, so no ISPM 15 wood treatment.
- Scheduling: production is scheduled to the loading date agreed with the buyer.
06 · The fibre.
| Parameter | Carve coir fibre | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Fibre class | Brown coir fibre, mixed/mattress type | Loose, unsorted by length. Not bristle, not curled, not twisted |
| Raw material | Mesocarp fibre of the mature dry coconut husk (Cocos nucifera L.) | Dry mature husk from irrigated groves, never retted in brackish water |
| Process | Decorticated mechanically; fibre retained on a rotary screen, ~4.1 mm mesh | Not combed. No chemicals, no additives |
| Length | 10–40 cm | Natural length, uncut |
| Moisture | ≤ 18 % | Measured per lot (mass before and after drying) |
| Impurities (pith and dust) | Impurity limit agreed per contract; lot data on request | Pith and dust content |
| Loose bulk density | ~55–80 kg/m³ | Actual value per lot |
| Lignin | High | Literature value for coir fibre |
| EC and pH (1:5) | Measured per lot | Low-conductivity well water; relevant only when the fibre goes into growing media |
| Grades | Natural · Washed · Buffered | Natural is the usual grade for industrial use |
| Bale | Pressed bales of loose fibre. Export bales: 100–130 kg, specification on request | Bale weights listed per lot on the packing list |
| Container loading | Floor-loaded 40' HC, no pallets | Net tonnes per container confirmed with the export bale specification |
| HS code | 5305.00 (Brazil NCM 5305.00.90) | Coir, raw or processed but not spun |
| Origin | Paraipaba, Ceará, Brazil | Shipped from the Port of Pecém |
Values: Carve public data sheet.[10] Full sheet: Coir fibre specification. Trade page: Coir Fiber. Raw material: dry mature husk from irrigated groves, never retted in brackish water, low-conductivity well water, EC per lot.
07 · Samples.
Loose fibre from a production lot, sent by courier with its lot report. Tell us the destination port, the intended use (mats, logs, pads, growing media) and the monthly volume; quantity and courier terms are agreed on request.
08 · Frequently asked questions.
What import duty applies to coir fibre from Brazil in the EU and the UK?
0%. The EU third-country duty on CN 5305 00 00 is 0% for all origins, and the UK third-country duty on 5305000000 is also 0%. The EU–Mercosur interim trade agreement, provisionally applied from 1 May 2026, changes nothing for this heading because it was already duty-free. Confirm the rate with your customs broker before ordering.
Do I need a phytosanitary certificate to import coir fibre into the EU?
No. HS 5305 is not among the plant products that need a phytosanitary certificate under Annex XI Part A of Regulation (EU) 2019/2072. MAPA, Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture, issues a certificate when the buyer asks for one. For the UK, confirm the current requirement with your broker.
How long is transit from Pecém to Rotterdam?
On a North Europe sailing reported by the Pecém port complex in August 2020, the ship left Pecém on 30 August and was due in Rotterdam, its first European call, by 10 September, about 11 days. Current transit depends on the service and on any transshipment; the carrier's booking confirms the sailing.
Do you supply twisted, curled or bristle coir fibre?
No. Carve supplies loose brown mixed fibre, pressed into bales. Twisting or curling into rope for rubberized coir is done by the converter or its supplier, and bristle fibre is combed and sorted by length, which Carve fibre is not.
Which Incoterm do you quote for Europe?
FOB Port of Pecém, Ceará, per 40' high-cube container. CFR to a European port can be quoted through our forwarder on request.
Can you ship coir fibre to Poland, Germany or the UK?
Yes, FOB Pecém. North Sea ports such as Rotterdam, Bremerhaven, Hamburg, Antwerp and London were direct calls on the 2020 sailing cited on this page; Baltic ports such as Gdańsk are usually reached by transshipment. The carrier confirms routing and transit at booking.
09 · Sources.
- European Commission, TARIC, CN 5305 00 00 (third-country duty; import control on waste, document code Y923): ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/dds2/taric.
- UK Trade Tariff, commodity 5305000000 (third-country duty, VAT, waste control): trade-tariff.service.gov.uk.
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072, Annex XI Part A (plant products requiring a phytosanitary certificate): eur-lex.europa.eu.
- European Commission, "Provisional application of the EU-Mercosur Interim Trade Agreement begins 1 May 2026": taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu.
- Complexo do Pecém, North Europe fruit sailing of 30 August 2020, due in Rotterdam by 10 September, with later calls at London (14 days), Bremerhaven (16), Hamburg (18), Antwerp (20), Le Havre (22) and Sines (25), in Portuguese: complexodopecem.com.br.
- Port of Rotterdam Authority, investment agreement for a 30 % share in the Pecém port-industrial complex (2018): portofrotterdam.com.
- Comex Stat (MDIC), exports under NCM 5305.00.90 by state of origin and destination: comexstat.mdic.gov.br; compiled in Brazil coir fibre exports.
- MAPA, phytosanitary certification for plant exports: gov.br/agricultura.
- CIN-CE (FIEC), certificate of origin: cin-ce.org.br.
- Carve public data sheet, Coir Fiber and Coir fibre specification: length 10–40 cm, moisture ≤18 %, loose density ~55–80 kg/m³, raw uncombed fibre, pressed bales, export bales 100–130 kg.