HS Code 5102.19.10 — Fine or coarse animal hair, not carded or combed: Not further processed than bleached or dyed | South Africa Import & Export

South Africa produces approximately 50–60% of the world’s mohair — the entire Karoo Angora-goat cluster (Jansenville, Graaff-Reinet, Somerset East, Cradock) routes export volume through HS code 5102.19 (other fine animal hair, not carded or combed) and 5105.39 (other fine animal hair, carded or combed). The SA-side import duty on incoming 5102.19 is 0% MFN with 15% VAT, but the commercial story is the export — SA mohair clips ship duty-free into the EU under the EU-SADC EPA and into the USA under AGOA, with the EU and Far East taking the bulk of the auction volume out of Port Elizabeth.

Customs Duty Rate

The customs duty rate for HS Code 5102.19.10 is free (0%). Duty is calculated on the FOB customs value (the goods value at the point of loading onto the carrier; international freight and insurance are not part of the duty base). Import VAT is then 15% of the Added Tax Value (ATV) — customs value + 10% uplift (for non-SACU origin; nil for BLNS countries) + non-rebated duty.

Product description — what HS 5102.19 actually covers (with the mohair-specific angle)

HS 5102.19 covers other fine animal hair, not carded or combed — the residual within 5102 that catches fine animal hair other than the named cashmere goat hair at 5102.11. In the SA export context this is dominated by:

• Mohair — the fleece of the Angora goat, classified under 5102.19 in its raw, greasy or unprocessed state
• Other fine animal hair — minor SA volumes of alpaca-blend (limited), camel hair (negligible SA production)

Mohair is then graded and routed across the chapter:

• Raw greasy mohair (untreated, ex-shed) → 5102.19
• Scoured mohair (washed, lanolin removed) → still typically 5102.19 if not carded/combed
• Carded or combed mohair (sliver, top, noil) → 5105.39 (other fine animal hair, carded or combed)
• Mohair yarn → chapter 51, headings 5108–5110
• Mohair fabric → chapter 51, headings 5111–5113
• Mohair garments and home textiles → chapters 61–63

What 5102.19 does NOT cover: cashmere (5102.11), wool of sheep or lambs (5101 and 5103), wool tops and slivers (5105.21/29), coarse animal hair (5102.20), or processed yarns and fabrics.

The 0% import MFN on 5102.19 is consistent with SA’s classification of raw fine animal hair as an industrial-feedstock input — there is no SACU-protective rate because SA is a major net exporter, not a competing importer.

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SA exporter and inbound importer profiles

The export side — the commercial centre of gravity

The SA mohair industry produces roughly 2.5–3.5 million kg of mohair clip annually (the South African Mohair Growers’ Association tracks the seasonal numbers). The volume routes through three commercial channels:

• Cape Mohair Spinners and the broker network — including SA Mohair Industries, BKB Mohair, OVK Mohair, House of Fibre — operating from Port Elizabeth as the historical centre of the SA mohair auction trade.
• Direct contracts between major Karoo Angora-goat producers and EU and Far East spinners and weavers.
• Stock-route auctions routed through Port Elizabeth and increasingly through online auction platforms.

The destination split (typical year):

• EU (Italy in particular) — the historical strength of the Italian Biella-region weavers (Loro Piana, Reda, Vitale Barberis Canonico) takes a major share of the high-grade kid mohair clip for luxury suiting.
• Far East (China, India, Japan) — substantial volume into Chinese spinners and Indian weavers for global yarn and fabric supply chains.
• UK — historic Yorkshire-mill demand, now smaller but still relevant.
• USA — modest volume, AGOA-eligible.

The inbound side — small but commercially relevant

A small SA-inbound trade in 5102.19 exists where:

• SA spinners need specific blending fibres not produced domestically (e.g., specialty alpaca, cashmere on adjacent 5102.11).
• Brokers re-import test batches for grading reconciliation.

The inbound flow is dwarfed by the export flow by orders of magnitude.

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Export procedure — step by step (the commercial focus)

1. Confirm the line classification — raw greasy or scoured mohair fleece, not carded/combed, routes to 5102.19. Carded/combed sliver and top route to 5105.39. The supplier’s mohair-grading certificate (kid, young goat, adult) and the production-stage description on the invoice drive the classification.
2. DALRRD veterinary documentation. Live animal products require a veterinary health certificate from DALRRD (Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development), confirming the animal-disease-free status of the source flock. EU and Far East buyers in particular require this on every consignment.
3. South African Mohair Growers’ Association (SAMGA) certificate of origin — the industry-standard provenance document that supports the “Cape Mohair” geographical-indication claim valued by European luxury weavers. Increasingly important for Loro Piana and similar GI-conscious buyers.
4. SARS Exporter Code (CCN) with full ITAC-registered exporter registration. Casual exporter codes do not support the documentary infrastructure required for international wool/mohair auctions.
5. Origin certificate for preferential entry at destination. – EU-SADC EPA: REX statement on origin or EUR.1 movement certificate. SA-origin mohair enters the EU duty-free; without preferential paperwork, EU-side duty on 5102.19 is typically low (often free or 2.5–3% MFN depending on the EU schedule line) but the documentation matters for record-keeping and onward processing accounting. – AGOA (USA): AGOA paperwork for SA-origin product entering the US duty-free where the US schedule line is not already at MFN zero. AGOA status is subject to political review — check current eligibility at shipment time. – SADC and SACU: typically not applicable as destination flows route to EU/Asia/USA.
6. Book specialist freight. Mohair is volumetric — baled clip at typical bale density ships in 20′ or 40′ containers. Larger auction shipments may be break-bulk. For the Italian Biella destinations, FCL or part-load through Genoa is common; for Chinese spinners, FCL through Shanghai, Ningbo, or Qingdao. Lead times are auction-cycle-driven, not arbitrary.
7. Prepare and file the SARS export declaration (SAD500 export). Box 33: 5102.19 (or applicable 8-digit sub-line). Box 31: “Raw greasy mohair fleece, [grade kid/young goat/adult], [season], [origin Karoo], [seller / SAMGA cert ref]”. Attach commercial invoice, DALRRD veterinary certificate, SAMGA origin certificate, EUR.1 or AGOA paperwork for destination, packing list, bill of lading.
8. Pay no SA export duty — SA does not impose export duty on raw fine animal hair under 5102.19.
9. Archive the audit pack — SARS post-export audits do happen, particularly on AGOA-claimed consignments.

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Worked example — a Karoo mohair clip auction shipment to Italy

Scenario: a SA mohair broker ships a 12-tonne kid mohair clip to a Biella-region Italian spinner. Invoice value EUR 480,000 (auction-priced at EUR 40/kg average for premium kid), ex-works Port Elizabeth, buyer-paid CIF Genoa.

The full EUR 480,000 lands with the Italian buyer at EU 0% duty — the commercial differentiator is provenance (Cape Mohair GI claim through SAMGA), clip quality (kid vs young vs adult grading) and freight reliability, not duty arbitrage. The duty advantage is already exhausted at zero.

A comparable 12-tonne shipment from a smaller competitor origin (Lesotho or Argentinian mohair clip) operating without SADC/EPA preferential origin would pay EU MFN at the destination tariff line — meaningful at the per-kilogram margin in a competitive auction market.

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Pitfalls — what gets the mohair exporter audit-trailed or held

Origin-certificate technical failures on REX statements. SA exporters newer to the REX (Registered Exporter) system make formatting errors on the supplier’s statement that EU customs reject — particularly around the wording of the origin statement and the REX reference-number placement. The post-entry recovery is possible but creates payment-cycle friction with the EU buyer.

DALRRD veterinary certificate timing. Certificates have validity windows. A shipment that misses its booked vessel and reschedules sometimes requires a re-issued veterinary certificate if the validity window lapses. Plan for two-week certificate validity from issue.

SAMGA origin and grading accuracy. EU luxury buyers (Loro Piana, Reda) audit clip grading on receipt. Misgraded clip (kid declared, young goat received) triggers reputational and commercial disputes that exceed any duty-saving rationale. The auction-house grading is the contract reference; SAMGA paperwork should match.

AGOA eligibility cycles. AGOA renewal is a periodic political process. Shipments tendered on AGOA preferential entry must be checked against current eligibility at the time of clearance at the US port. Lapses cost the US-side duty differential, typically absorbed by the SA exporter.

Classification creep — 5102.19 vs 5105.39. Carded or combed mohair sliver and top are 5105.39 (other fine animal hair, carded or combed), with potentially different MFN at the destination side. The processing-stage description on the invoice decides. Get the carding/combing question right on the export documentation.

Asia-route bunker and capacity disruption. Mohair clip ex-Port Elizabeth to Far East destinations routes via Durban transhipment or direct service. Capacity disruption (vessel cancellations, port congestion) is the operational risk; the auction clock and the buyer’s contracted delivery window leave limited slack.

Counterfeit and adulterated clip risk. Inferior fibre passed off as premium clip is the perennial industry-side fraud risk. Documentary integrity (auction-house lot reference, SAMGA grading, freight bill matching) is the protection. SARS export-audit does occasionally examine bills lacking documentary alignment.

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Ready to import? What to do next

JLog operates specialist export logistics out of Port Elizabeth with dedicated chapter-51 fibre and chapter-52 textile-clip routing into the EU (Genoa, La Spezia, Hamburg, Antwerp) and Far East (Shanghai, Ningbo, Qingdao). For SA mohair brokers and direct-contract producers, we coordinate DALRRD veterinary documentation, REX origin statements, AGOA paperwork, FCL booking against the auction cycle, and last-mile destination coordination with the spinner or weaver.

Get a JLog Mohair Export Logistics quote — Port Elizabeth FCL/LCL into EU and Far East, DALRRD veterinary documentation, REX/EUR.1 origin paperwork, AGOA support, auction-cycle freight booking. → https://jlog.co.za/get-a-quote/?hs=5102.19&service=mohair-export-logistics

Calculate your import duty & VAT — free JLog calculator

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does South Africa export mohair under HS code 5102.19?

Yes. South Africa is the world’s largest mohair producer (~50–60% of global supply), and the bulk of raw clip exports out of Port Elizabeth route under HS code 5102.19 (other fine animal hair, not carded or combed) for the kid, young goat and adult Angora-goat clip. Carded or combed mohair sliver and top route to HS 5105.39.

What is the SA import duty on mohair under 5102.19?

The import duty on 5102.19 into South Africa is 0% (free) per SARS Schedule No. 1, Part 1 (line 5102.19.10). Import VAT is 15% on CIF × 1.10. SA is a net exporter of mohair; the inbound trade is small.

Does SA charge an export duty on mohair?

No. SA does not impose export duty on raw fine animal hair under 5102.19. The commercial driver is destination-side duty and origin certification, not SA-side export tax.

Does SA mohair enter the EU duty-free?

Yes — under the EU-SADC EPA, SA-origin 5102.19 enters the EU duty-free with a valid REX statement on origin or EUR.1 movement certificate. The SA exporter must be registered with the REX system (SARS-administered) and meet substantial-origin rules (clip shorn in SA from SA-farmed Angora goats).

What about exports to the USA?

Under AGOA, SA-origin 5102.19 enters the US duty-free with valid AGOA paperwork (where the US MFN rate is non-zero). AGOA status is subject to periodic political review — check current eligibility at shipment time. Some 5102 lines are already at US MFN zero, in which case AGOA paperwork is procedural rather than financially advantageous.

What documentation does a SA mohair export shipment need?

Commercial invoice, SARS export declaration (SAD500 export), DALRRD veterinary health certificate, SAMGA / industry-body origin certificate (supports Cape Mohair GI claim), REX statement or EUR.1 (EU destinations), AGOA paperwork (US destinations), packing list, bill of lading. The auction-house lot reference should appear on the invoice for traceability.

What is the difference between 5102.19 and 5105.39 for mohair?

5102.19 = raw or scoured mohair, not carded or combed — the auction-clip line. 5105.39 = mohair after carding or combing (sliver, top, noil) — a processed-fibre line. Get the production-stage description right on the export invoice; destination duty profiles can differ.