Jute: Criticality

Not scarce, but vital to Bengal's smallholders

Not scarce, but vital to Bengal's smallholders What this tab covers How exposed economies are to a supply disruption: the EU, US and India listings, the concentration score, and a quantified exposure for the US, EU, India, China, Japan, Latin America, the Middle East and Australia. Where the EU scored it, a chart of supply risk against economic importance, with import reliance, recycling input and substitutes.

Exposure by region

Region	Exposure	Share of world output	Share of world imports	Share of world exports	Net trade (US$)	On own critical list	Position
US	Low	0.0%	1.3%	2.1%	−$1.24 m	No	No production; small importer of raw jute (1.3% of world import value, 2024) and buyer of jute bags and backing (UN Comtrade).
EU	High	0.0%	7.8%	14.8%	−$6.67 m	No	No production; Belgium (7.9%) and Germany (2.1%) appear as exporters of raw jute through re-export, and EU states are small importers (UN Comtrade 2024).
India	High	38.2%	47.9%	28.3%	−$73.1 m	No	Second-largest grower (38.2% of output, 2024) and the largest importer (47.9% of raw jute import value), with a legal packaging mandate (FAOSTAT; UN Comtrade).
China	High	0.3%	9.9%	0.5%	−$17.8 m	No	Tiny grower (0.26% of output) and an importer of 9.9% of world raw jute value in 2024 (FAOSTAT; UN Comtrade).
Japan	Low	0.0%	0.1%	0.0%	−$191k	No	Negligible trade in raw jute (0.1% of world import value, 2024) (UN Comtrade).
Latin America	High	0.0%	3.3%	0.0%	−$5.95 m	no list	Brazil grows a little jute and imports 2.7% of world raw jute value (FAOSTAT; UN Comtrade 2024).
Middle East	Low	0.0%	0.9%	0.0%	−$1.58 m	no list	Egypt grows a small crop and exports 3.0% of world raw jute value; Gulf states import little (FAOSTAT; UN Comtrade 2024).
Australia	Low	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	+$0	No	No production and negligible raw jute trade (UN Comtrade 2024).

Exposure rating: High when the region is a net importer whose import share is at least three times its share of world output (or, for farm goods, it produces under 70% of what it consumes); Medium for other net importers (or 70-95% self-sufficiency), raised to High when world supply is highly concentrated in another country; Low for net exporters or self-sufficient regions. Net importer status uses tonnage where reported, otherwise value. Output: FAOSTAT, 2024. Trade: UN Comtrade 2024 (EU = sum of member states, including intra-EU trade). Critical lists: US 2025, EU 2024/1252, India 2023, China 2016 strategic minerals, Japan METI, Australia 2024.

Jute is on neither the US 2025 nor the India 2023 critical list, and synthetic fibres can replace it in most uses. Its significance is social. Jute is a cash crop for many smallholders in Bangladesh and West Bengal, and the mills are large employers. Supply is very exposed: two neighbouring countries in one delta grow almost all of it, so floods, drought or cyclones there hit the world crop. Rising seas and salinity threaten that delta. Demand risk is the mirror image, since cheap plastics nearly destroyed the industry once.

EU 2023 Not assessed US 2025 list No India 2023 list No Production HHI 4,648 highly concentrated