Copra
Copra is the dried kernel (meat) of the coconut, split from the shell and cured by sun or kiln drying until its moisture content is low enough for storage and transport without spoiling. It is not a finished product: it is the raw feedstock that an oil mill presses or solvent-extracts into crude coconut oil, leaving copra meal or cake behind as an animal-feed byproduct. It is traded as loose or bagged dried kernel pieces, off-white to light brown in colour, with a strong coconut oil aroma. Quality is set by moisture, extractable oil content, and free fatty acid, because high moisture or FFA both cut recoverable oil and raise mould and aflatoxin risk in storage and transit.
Listed copra markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
A drawn and sealed sample is assayed for three physical measurements: moisture content by oven-drying loss, extractable oil content by solvent extraction (Soxhlet) or NMR, and free fatty acid content (expressed as percent oleic acid) by titration of the extracted oil. All three move together in practice: wetter copra carries lower recoverable oil and higher FFA from hydrolytic and microbial spoilage.
Milling copra grade
3 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| PNS1Grade 1 | moisture 6.0-7.9%, oil content minimum 62%, FFA maximum 0.5% |
| PNS2Grade 2 | moisture 8.0-10.9%, oil content minimum 60%, FFA maximum 4.0% |
| PNS3Grade 3 | moisture 11.0-13.9%, oil content minimum 58%, FFA maximum 5.0% |
Grades outside this list trade on request.
Locations
| Country | Region | We trade it as |
|---|---|---|
| Philippines | Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao | Origin and destination |
| Indonesia | Sumatra, Sulawesi, Java | Origin and destination |
| India | Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka | Origin and destination |
| Bangladesh | national | Destination |
| United Arab Emirates | national | Destination |
| United States | national | Destination |
Locations outside this list trade on request.
Timing
The coconut palm bears fruit year-round on a roughly two to three month per-tree harvest cycle, so copra has no single hard annual season the way a row crop does; nuts must mature ten to thirteen months on the tree before they carry full oil content for copra. Arrival timing follows the buyer's ocean freight transit time from the loading port rather than a fixed shipping season.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines | 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 harvest with a documented August-October national volume peak as mid-year growth comes off the trees. |
| 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 DecYear-round harvest across the archipelago, no single national closed season. |
| India | 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 harvest in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, with copra-making concentrated in the drier months when sun-drying is reliable. |
Windows outside the pattern below trade on request.
Common questions
What grades of copra does SIP Global trade?
We quote 3 published grades of copra, including PNS1 - Grade 1, PNS2 - Grade 2 and PNS3 - Grade 3. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is copra graded?
A drawn and sealed sample is assayed for three physical measurements: moisture content by oven-drying loss, extractable oil content by solvent extraction (Soxhlet) or NMR, and free fatty acid content (expressed as percent oleic acid) by titration of the extracted oil. All three move together in practice: wetter copra carries lower recoverable oil and higher FFA from hydrolytic and microbial spoilage. Grading runs on 1 system: Milling copra grade.
Where does SIP Global trade copra?
We trade copra in Philippines, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh, United Arab Emirates and United States. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is copra harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Philippines: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec; Indonesia: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec; India: 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.
How do I get a price for copra?
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. 2 listed copra 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.
- 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.