edit: LOL this is a really stupid question. I didn't even know why I asked  :-[

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no :-)

I very much doubt they would sell it as garden twine if it was.

Jute itself, no. The chemicals it may be dipped in, probably. Hardware or dollar store twine tends to have a very strong smell to it, at least where I live. This is from the machine oils and other volatile organic compounds that get in it during production , and it tends to get produced in some far away unknown factory in Asia.  Sometimes the smell is little, sometimes it just stinks really bad. I don't buy it anymore if it really stinks, but a way to get the smell out is soak it overnight and dry it in the sun, at least that's what I did with sisal.

don't know about jute
but
any kind of dust inhaled is hazardous.
just recently discovered how sickening daily exposure to wood dust can be.

for wood toxicity : https://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/wood-allergies-and-toxicity/

the linen cord I use produces a lot of dust during softening(I wear a mask) and a little more during braiding (I don't wear a mask, maybe i should) the dust takes time to settle...

Yeah we probably could live a lot longer if our lungs weren't abused every day by tiny particles, but the strength of our lungs is also determined by nature. Some people smoke many cigs a day and are still healthy at 90, others who do the same die at 50 or earlier.  Then there's also people who worked with asbestos a lot and never died from it, while others who never did work with it might have just accidentally inhaled some one day and get asbestosis 30 years later from it.

Yes pays to try to take care of your lungs, i haven't but i try to keep my kids away from stuff, my brother in law is a carpenter by trade and ended up after a few years being allergic to wood dust so he cant work in that anymore. I have asbestos fencing here, lead paint, I smoked for 16 years, I've painted cars with isocyanate paints in my shed, I grind stones and glass witch can give you silicosis. I do wear a mask for most though and try to work in flowing air.  :-/ it'll get me one day probably, but I don't think jute is going to be as bad a lot of things in the air already.

i don't think its harmful exactly.but inhaling the fibers constantly will give you Bysinosis the fiber equivalent of Silicosis. after a life time it will get you .

   If jute was toxic I'd be dead by now.  I've braided probably miles of.  Sisal isn't toxic but it'll tear your hands up if you're not careful. 

Jute itself probably not ...BUT...brown lung (Byssinosis) is dangerous, It is the cotton and Hemp workers equivalent of Silicosis so best to wear a mask if handling a lot of it.

Eudave wrote on Jul 17^th, 2019 at 2:25pm:

Jute itself probably not ...BUT...brown lung (Byssinosis) is dangerous, It is the cotton and Hemp workers equivalent of Silicosis so best to wear a mask if handling a lot of it.

That’s a good point. I was testing a tapered jute release cord and got a cloud of fine jute hairs from cracking it like a whip. Toxic or not, those can’t be good to breathe into your lungs.

I don't think I will braid any more hemp and jute slings. Yesterday I spent 2 hours braiding a 5 strand Jute rockman sling and at the end my throat really started aching from the fibres in the air. It gave me a bad cough and my voice was effected as well. This is not the first time I experience this but this time it was the worst. In the past I ignored it but I dont think its wise to ignore anymore. Of all natural fibres sisal/agave has the least effect on my throat because the fibres are thicker.  I think I will just stick to paracord and sisal, but mostly paracord.

Just like with flint knapping it might not hurt to do it outside with a breeze or a fan on you. I've had other fibers do the same. My experience with jute and with some cheaper hardware store fibers is that it has a strong chemical smell. I imagine that can't be good for you.

The only thing that should be in your lungs is air, preferably clean air. Breathing in anything else is bad but to different degrees.