Vegetable materials of a kind used primarily for plaiting; (e.g. bamboos, rattans, reeds, rushes, osier, raffia, cleaned, bleached or dyed cereal straw and lime bark)

HS code 1401 covers a diverse range of vegetable materials that are primarily used for plaiting and weaving. These materials, which include bamboos, rattans, reeds, rushes, osier, and raffia, play a crucial role in the production of a wide variety of goods, from traditional handicrafts to modern industrial applications. This industry is an important contributor to the global economy, providing livelihoods for millions of people, particularly in developing countries where these materials are often abundant.

The production of materials under HS code 1401 typically involves the harvesting, cleaning, and processing of the raw vegetable materials. Depending on the specific material, this may include techniques such as drying, bleaching, dyeing, or other treatments to prepare the materials for plaiting and weaving. The final products are then used in the manufacture of a wide range of goods, from baskets and furniture to textiles and construction materials.

The main inputs required for the production of materials under HS code 1401 are the raw vegetable materials themselves, such as bamboos, rattans, reeds, and rushes. These materials are typically sourced from natural habitats or cultivated plantations, depending on the specific product. In addition to the raw materials, the industry may also require specialized equipment and machinery for harvesting, processing, and weaving the materials, as well as various chemicals and dyes for treatment and finishing processes.

The materials covered under HS code 1401 are used in the production of a wide range of goods, including 4601 (Plaits and similar products of plaiting materials, whether or not assembled into strips; plaiting materials, plaits and similar products of plaiting materials, bound together in parallel strands or woven, in sheet form, whether or not being finished articles (for example, mats, matting, screens)) and 4602 Basketwork, wickerwork and other articles, made directly to shape from plaiting materials or made up from goods of heading 4601; articles of loofah. These materials are also used in the production of 4401 Fuel wood, in logs, in billets, in twigs, in faggots or in similar forms; wood in chips or particles; sawdust and wood waste and scrap, whether or not agglomerated in logs, briquettes, pellets or similar forms, 4402 (Charcoal (including shell or nut charcoal), whether or not agglomerated), and 4404 Hoopwood; split poles; piles, pickets and stakes of wood, pointed but not sawn lengthwise; wooden sticks, roughly trimmed but not turned, bent or otherwise worked, suitable for the manufacture of walking-sticks, umbrellas, tool handles or the like; chipwood and the like.