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Farm produce

Export spices

Whole, ground and blended spices. Spices Board registration (CRES) is compulsory; residue and ethylene oxide tests keep buyers.

Free to exportHS 0904–0910
HS code
0904–0910
Chapter 9 spice headings: pepper and chilli (0904), vanilla (0905), cinnamon (0906), cloves (0907), nutmeg and cardamom (0908), seed spices (0909), ginger, turmeric and others (0910). Curry powder and spice oils fall elsewhere.
Export policy
Free to export
Export is Free under ITC(HS), but you must hold a CRES from the Spices Board before exporting any listed spice.
Registrations
4
IEC, GST and those below
India’s exports, 2025-26
US$ 3.12 bn
to 162 countries

What is exported

The Spices Board covers 52 spices, from chilli, cumin and turmeric to cardamom, pepper and curry powder. By value in 2025-26, the USA, China, the UAE and Bangladesh were the biggest buyers of Indian spices, followed by Saudi Arabia, Thailand, the UK and Malaysia. Buyers range from supermarket packers to food factories that buy steam-sterilised powder.

Varieties, grades and forms

  • Black pepper — Malabar garbled (MG1), Tellicherry extra boldGraded by size and bulk density; Tellicherry grades are the large berries.
  • Small cardamom — AGEB, AGB, AGSAlleppey Green Extra Bold, Bold and Superior; the Gulf buys most of it for gahwa.
  • Chilli, turmeric and cuminThe three largest volume spices — see their own product pages.
  • Seed spices — coriander, fennel, fenugreekMachine-cleaned seed, mainly from Gujarat and Rajasthan.
  • Curry powder, spice mixes and oleoresinsValue-added forms; oleoresins and oils fall outside Chapter 9.

Where it is grown or made

  • KeralaIdukki (cardamom, pepper); Kochi is the processing and export hub; cardamom e-auctions at Puttady and Bodinayakanur.
  • KarnatakaLargest pepper area (Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan); Byadgi chilli in Haveri district.
  • Andhra Pradesh and TelanganaChilli belt around Guntur and Warangal; turmeric around Nizamabad.
  • Gujarat and RajasthanCumin, coriander and fennel; Unjha is the main seed-spice market.

Season

Per the Spices Board harvest calendar: black pepper November–March, cardamom September–January, chilli October–March, turmeric January–March, cumin February–March.

Export packing

  • Whole spices in 25–50 kg PP or jute bags with an inner liner; cardamom often in lined cartons.
  • Steam-sterilised powders in multi-wall paper bags or lined cartons for food factories.
  • Retail packs (pouches, jars) printed to the buyer country’s labelling law.

Who buys abroad

  • Spice grinders and packers in the USA, EU and UK
  • Food manufacturers buying sterilised powder and oleoresin
  • Gulf importers (cardamom, chilli, cumin)
  • Ethnic Indian grocery brands abroad

The quality buyers ask for

Aflatoxin (EU)
5 µg/kg (ppb) for chilli, turmeric, ginger and curry powder, as compiled by the Spices Board
Ethylene oxide (EU)
0.1 mg/kg for most whole spices; 0.02 mg/kg for chilli, ginger and curry powder (Spices Board compilation)
Salmonella
Absent in 25 g — EU, Australia, Qatar and most buyers
Pesticide residues
EU limit for chlorpyrifos is 0.01 mg/kg in cumin, turmeric, ginger, cardamom and other spices; check each market in APEDA’s MRL database
Physical cleanliness
Extraneous matter, insect damage and moisture limits from AGMARK spice grades, Codex spice standards or the buyer’s ASTA/ESA cleanliness specification
Illegal dyes
Sudan dyes and other non-permitted colours must be absent (Qatar and Taiwan list them explicitly)

Certificates

  • Spices Board CRESRequiredCertificate of Registration as Exporter of Spices. Required by law before you export any spice listed by the Spices Board.
  • FSSAI licenceRequiredCentral licence from FSSAI for the premises where the food is packed or stored for export. Apply on FoSCoS.
  • Phytosanitary certificateRequiredIssued by Plant Quarantine (DPPQS) for each consignment of plant produce, after inspection. Apply on PQMS.
  • Spices Board quality certificateOften askedAnalysis report from a Spices Board lab where the Board’s mandatory-test list applies to your spice and market.
  • HACCPOften askedA food-safety plan that identifies hazards at each processing step and controls them. Most importers ask for it from the processing unit.
  • ISO 22000 / FSSC 22000Often askedFood-safety management system certification. FSSC 22000 is recognised by GFSI, which large retailers and brand owners look for.
  • Organic (NPOP / NOP / EU)Often askedNeeded only if you sell the product as organic: NPOP certification by an accredited body, plus the buyer market’s own organic rules.
  • HalalOften askedAsked for by many buyers in the Gulf, Malaysia and Indonesia, especially for processed and animal-origin foods. Use a body the destination recognises.

Shipping, storage and shelf life

Container load

Dense seeds and powders typically fill a 20-ft container at about 14–18 tonnes; light spices (whole chilli, cinnamon, bay leaf) need a 40-ft high-cube and still weigh out low.

How it travels

Sea freight in dry containers; small sample and retail orders by air or courier.

Storage

Cool, dry and dark. Keep spices apart from strong-smelling goods; ground spices lose aroma and colour fastest.

Shelf life

Whole spices typically 1–2 years; ground spices less, depending on packing.

What goes on the pack and carton

  • Bulk bags and cartons: product and grade, crop year, lot number, net and gross weight, “Product of India”, exporter name and the buyer’s shipping marks, matching the invoice and packing list exactly.
  • EU retail packs (Regulation 1169/2011): name of the food, ingredients with allergens highlighted, net quantity, best-before date, storage conditions, the EU importer’s name and address, and origin where required — in the language of the country of sale.
  • USA (21 CFR 101): product name, net quantity in both US and metric units, ingredients, allergens, name and place of business of the packer or distributor, Nutrition Facts unless exempt; and “Product of India” marking (19 CFR 134).
  • Gulf countries: Arabic text (Arabic plus English is normal), production and expiry dates, net weight, country of origin and the importer’s details. Confirm the current rules with your importer.
  • Lot or batch number on every pack and bag — FSSAI’s Labelling and Display Regulations, 2020 require it, and every importing country uses it to trace and recall.
Where to get it tested

The Spices Board runs quality evaluation laboratories in Kochi, Mumbai, Chennai, Guntur, Narela (Delhi), Tuticorin, Kandla, Kolkata and Jodhpur; fees and sample forms are on indianspices.com → Quality. NABL-accredited private labs (search nabl-india.org) are also used. Check the Board’s “Mandatory tests for export” list for your spice and market.

Benefits of exporting this product

Where to register

  • Spices BoardCertificate of Registration as Exporter of Spices (CRES). Required by law for anyone exporting a spice listed by the Spices Board.indianspices.org.in ↗
  • FSSAIFood business licence. FSSAI rules put food exporters under the Central licence; apply on FoSCoS and keep it valid for the premises you pack from.foscos.fssai.gov.in ↗

Quality and checks

  • Ethylene oxide: the EU applies 0.1 mg/kg on most spices and 0.02 mg/kg on curry powder, masala mixes and chilli (Spices Board SPS list). Never fumigate with ethylene oxide; use steam sterilisation.
  • Salmonella must be absent in 25 g for the EU and Australia on chilli, cumin, coriander, turmeric and masala.
  • Pesticide residues (chlorpyrifos at 0.01 mg/kg for the EU on most spices), aflatoxin and ochratoxin on chilli, and lead on turmeric.
  • Test at an NABL-accredited or Spices Board laboratory before shipment and keep the report with the lot number.
How to start small

Pick one spice you know and one market. Get your CRES, then send 200–500 kg of steam-sterilised, lab-tested product by air or LCL to an ethnic-food importer in the UAE, UK or USA. Put the lab report and lot number on every invoice. Since 15 September 2026, a consignment worth up to ₹3 lakh FOB does not need an RCMC (DGFT Notification 36/2026-27). The CRES is required by the Spices Board Act and still applies.

Where new exporters go wrong

  • Ethylene oxide alerts. Since 2020 EU and other regulators have rejected Indian spices and blends over ethylene oxide; one alert can cost a brand its retail listings.
  • Testing only the final powder. Residues come from the farm — buy from known lots or farmer groups that keep spray records.
  • Exporting without a CRES, or letting it lapse — customs and the Spices Board can stop the shipment.

Documents this product needs

Schemes that apply

Sources (5)
  1. Spices Board — Major item/country-wise export of spices (2021-22 to 2025-26)
  2. Spices Board — SPS requirements for spices (risks reported in export consignments)
  3. Spices Board — Spices under the purview of the Board (52 spices)
  4. Spices Board India — exporter registration (CRES) and quality
  5. DGFT Notification 36/2026-27 (15 Sep 2026) — no RCMC needed for consignments up to ₹3 lakh FOB

Trade data

Indian spices exports in numbers

From the Department of Commerce’s TradeStat, country by country. US$, Indian financial years (April–March).

Exports in 2025-26
US$ 3.12 bn
+2.7% a year on average, 2020-21 to 2025-26
Change from 2024-25
↓ -5.1%
US$ 3.29 bn → US$ 3.12 bn
Buyer countries
162
Average export price
US$ 2.32
per kg · 1.34 mn tonnes shipped · US$ 2.30 the year before
China: US$ 402 mnUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 338 mnUnited States of America: US$ 336 mnBangladesh: US$ 311 mnSaudi Arabia: US$ 190 mnThailand: US$ 128 mnMalaysia: US$ 118 mnSri Lanka: US$ 99.3 mnUnited Kingdom: US$ 91.7 mnIndonesia: US$ 84.6 mnCanada: US$ 72.6 mnMorocco: US$ 62.6 mnGermany: US$ 53.8 mnNepal: US$ 52.7 mnNetherlands: US$ 50.5 mnAustralia: US$ 47.2 mnKuwait: US$ 34.8 mnSouth Africa: US$ 33.7 mnMexico: US$ 30.8 mnJapan: US$ 29.8 mnIraq: US$ 28.2 mnTürkiye: US$ 26 mnIran: US$ 26 mnVietnam: US$ 23.1 mnSingapore: US$ 22 mnChina: US$ 402 mnChinaUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 338 mnUnited Arab EmiratesUnited States of America: US$ 336 mnUnited States of AmericaBangladesh: US$ 311 mnBangladeshSaudi Arabia: US$ 190 mnThailand: US$ 128 mnThailandMalaysia: US$ 118 mnMalaysiaSri Lanka: US$ 99.3 mnUnited Kingdom: US$ 91.7 mnIndonesia: US$ 84.6 mnCanada: US$ 72.6 mnMorocco: US$ 62.6 mnGermany: US$ 53.8 mnNepal: US$ 52.7 mnNetherlands: US$ 50.5 mnAustralia: US$ 47.2 mnKuwait: US$ 34.8 mnSouth Africa: US$ 33.7 mnMexico: US$ 30.8 mnJapan: US$ 29.8 mnIraq: US$ 28.2 mnTürkiye: US$ 26 mnIran: US$ 26 mnVietnam: US$ 23.1 mnSingapore: US$ 22 mnIndia
Where Indian spices goes — among our 80 countries, 2025-26
2020-21: US$ 2.73 bn2.7k2020-212021-22: US$ 2.58 bn2.6k2021-222022-23: US$ 2.66 bn2.7k2022-232023-24: US$ 3.17 bn3.2k2023-242024-25: US$ 3.29 bn3.3k2024-252025-26: US$ 3.12 bn3.1k2025-26
India’s spices exports, year by year · US$ million

The price cycle

India’s average export price per kg each year (total value ÷ total quantity). Highest in 2022-23, lowest in 2020-21 — a 29% swing between them. Keep this swing in mind when you quote.

2020-21: US$ 1.88 per kg1.882021-22: US$ 2.04 per kg2022-23: US$ 2.42 per kg2.422024-25: US$ 2.30 per kg2025-26: US$ 2.32 per kg2.322020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-26
Average export price of Indian spices · US$ per kg · dotted = year in between not available

What next: a projection from the trend

The past trend carried forward — not a forecast by any authority. Sudden changes in policy, prices or demand are not in it.

2020-21: US$ 2.73 bn2020-212021-22: US$ 2.58 bn2021-222022-23: US$ 2.66 bn2022-232023-24: US$ 3.17 bn2023-242024-25: US$ 3.29 bn2024-252025-26: US$ 3.12 bn2025-262026-27: US$ 3.41 bn (US$ 3.1 bn – US$ 3.74 bn)3.4k2026-272027-28: US$ 3.56 bn (US$ 3.21 bn – US$ 3.96 bn)3.6k2027-28
India’s spices exports and projection · hollow bars = projection, line = likely range
By 2027-28: US$ 3.56 bn

Likely range US$ 3.21 bn to US$ 3.96 bn.

Trend
+4.6% a year
Fit (R²)
0.65
Based on
6 years of official figures

Method: a straight line through the logarithm of yearly exports (log-linear regression); range = ±1 standard error.

Biggest buyer countries

By value in 2025-26. Change is against 2024-25.

Name2025-26Change
1ChinaUS$ 402 mn-35%
2United Arab EmiratesUS$ 338 mn+3.9%
3United States of AmericaUS$ 336 mn-7.9%
4BangladeshUS$ 311 mn-2.5%
5Saudi ArabiaUS$ 190 mn+60.2%
6ThailandUS$ 128 mn-2.9%
7MalaysiaUS$ 118 mn+2.2%
8Sri LankaUS$ 99.3 mn+9.8%
9United KingdomUS$ 91.7 mn-9.5%
10IndonesiaUS$ 84.6 mn-8.3%
11CanadaUS$ 72.6 mn+9%
12MoroccoUS$ 62.6 mn+3.5%

Where demand is rising and falling

Only countries that buy at least US$ 1 million or 1% of India’s exports of this product. Change from 2024-25 to 2025-26.

High demand

  1. Saudi ArabiaUS$ 118 mn → US$ 190 mn+60.2%
  2. KuwaitUS$ 28.5 mn → US$ 34.8 mn+21.8%

Low demand

  1. ChinaUS$ 619 mn → US$ 402 mn-35%

Which forms sell, and at what price

India’s exports by 8-digit tariff line, 2025-26. Average price = total value ÷ total quantity (TradeStat): the average of every shipment on that line, not the price of any one deal.

Tariff lineValue 2025-26ChangeQuantityAverage price
Spices, fruits of the genus Capsicum or Pimenta, dried, neither crushed nor ground — of genus capsicum0904 21 10US$ 840 mn-11.8%4,58,131 tonnesUS$ 1.83 per kgwas US$ 1.98
Other seeds of cumin excluding black; neither crushed nor ground0909 31 29 · Spices, cumin seeds, neither crushed nor groundUS$ 438 mn-31.6%1,70,717 tonnesUS$ 2.57 per kgwas US$ 3.10
Small (ellettaria),alleppey green0908 31 20 · Spices, cardamoms, neither crushed nor groundUS$ 313 mn+150.9%11,327 tonnesUS$ 27.60 per kgwas US$ 28.03
Spices, fruits of the genus Capsicum or Pimenta, crushed or ground — chilly powder0904 22 11US$ 168 mn-16.1%75,945 tonnesUS$ 2.22 per kgwas US$ 2.49
Spices, turmeric — dry0910 30 20US$ 160 mn-13.9%1,01,905 tonnesUS$ 1.57 per kgwas US$ 1.76
Spices, turmeric — powder0910 30 30US$ 141 mn+6.4%67,647 tonnesUS$ 2.09 per kgwas US$ 2.20
Mixtrs of two or mors prodcts of diff hdg0910 91 00 · Spices, mixtures of 2 or more products of different headingsUS$ 123 mn+2%32,732 tonnesUS$ 3.76 per kgwas US$ 3.80
Other cardamom; neither crushed nor ground0908 31 90 · Spices, cardamoms, neither crushed nor groundUS$ 86.7 mn+80%3,256 tonnesUS$ 26.62 per kgwas US$ 26.74
Crushed or ground; other fruits of genus capsicum0904 22 19 · Spices, fruits of the genus Capsicum or Pimenta, crushed or groundUS$ 86.4 mn-16.2%32,188 tonnesUS$ 2.68 per kgwas US$ 3.15
Spices, pepper, crushed or ground — crushed or ground pepper0904 12 00US$ 74.9 mn+15.8%11,098 tonnesUS$ 6.75 per kgwas US$ 5.78
Spices, cumin seeds, crushed or ground — crushed or ground0909 32 00US$ 57.7 mn-21.8%15,621 tonnesUS$ 3.70 per kgwas US$ 4.25
Other seeds of coriander; neither crushed nor ground0909 21 90 · Spices, coriander seeds, neither crushed nor groundUS$ 53.6 mn+7.8%46,223 tonnesUS$ 1.16 per kgwas US$ 1.11
Spices, ginger, neither crushed nor ground — fresh0910 11 10US$ 53.1 mn+9.5%1,15,873 tonnesUS$ 0.46 per kgwas US$ 0.45
Spices, ginger, neither crushed nor ground — dried, unbleached0910 11 20US$ 43.4 mn+16%16,102 tonnesUS$ 2.70 per kgwas US$ 3.01

The world market

Each country’s own recorded exports and imports in UN Comtrade, 2023 (the latest year nearly every country has reported).

World imports
US$ 12.6 bn
2023
India among exporters
#1
of 159 countries
India’s share of world exports
21.5%
US$ 2.9 bn
Left for others to win
US$ 10.6 bn
exported by other countries

Top exporters — your competitors

  1. 1IndiaUS$ 2.9 bn 21.5%
  2. 2ChinaUS$ 1.97 bn 14.6%
  3. 3Viet NamUS$ 1.29 bn 9.5%
  4. 4IndonesiaUS$ 614 mn 4.5%
  5. 5MadagascarUS$ 538 mn 4%
  6. 6SpainUS$ 496 mn 3.7%
  7. 7NetherlandsUS$ 444 mn 3.3%
  8. 8United Arab EmiratesUS$ 433 mn 3.2%
  9. 9GermanyUS$ 390 mn 2.9%
  10. 10GuatemalaUS$ 382 mn 2.8%

Biggest buyers in the world

  1. 1USAUS$ 1.83 bn 14.6%
  2. 2IndiaUS$ 878 mn 7%
  3. 3ChinaUS$ 852 mn 6.8%
  4. 4GermanyUS$ 606 mn 4.8%
  5. 5Saudi ArabiaUS$ 544 mn 4.3%
  6. 6United Arab EmiratesUS$ 531 mn 4.2%
  7. 7NetherlandsUS$ 435 mn 3.5%
  8. 8IndonesiaUS$ 395 mn 3.1%
  9. 9United KingdomUS$ 390 mn 3.1%
  10. 10FranceUS$ 385 mn 3.1%

Opportunity: what these countries buy from the world, and from India

Each country’s own recorded imports in UN Comtrade, latest year it has reported. The long light part of each bar is demand other countries are filling today.

United States of AmericaUS$ 2.13 bnIndia 17.6% · gap US$ 1.75 bn
GermanyUS$ 682 mnIndia 7% · gap US$ 634 mn
Saudi ArabiaUS$ 722 mnIndia 18.6% · gap US$ 588 mn
NetherlandsUS$ 471 mnIndia 7.4% · gap US$ 437 mn
FranceUS$ 422 mnIndia 5.8% · gap US$ 398 mn
United Arab EmiratesUS$ 531 mnIndia 28.3% · gap US$ 380 mn
SpainUS$ 390 mnIndia 6% · gap US$ 366 mn
JapanUS$ 366 mnIndia 8.3% · gap US$ 336 mn
ChinaUS$ 969 mnIndia 67.4% · gap US$ 316 mn
United KingdomUS$ 390 mnIndia 23% · gap US$ 300 mn

TradeStat’s 2023-24 quantities are double-counted, so that year is left out of the price. Sources: TradeStat — Export Import Data Bank, Department of Commerce · UN Comtrade database (United Nations Statistics Division) · Figures taken 29 October 2026.

Step by step

How to export spices

India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices, and the Spices Board lists 52 spices under its watch. Competitors differ by spice: Vietnam and Brazil in pepper, China in chilli and garlic, Guatemala in cardamom, Syria and Turkey in cumin. Demand grows with ready meals, seasoning blends and ethnic cooking abroad, but food-safety checks are tightening every year. Openings are in clean, steam-sterilised, residue-tested spices, spice oils and oleoresins, and branded retail packs for diaspora markets.

  1. 01Register with the Spices Board

    Get your CRES after IEC and FSSAI. Without it, customs will not clear a listed spice.

  2. 02Read the market’s risk list

    Check the Spices Board’s SPS requirements and APEDA’s MRL database for your spice and destination before buying stock.

  3. 03Source from a cleaning unit

    Buy from processors with cleaning, grading and, where needed, steam sterilisation. Avoid ethylene-oxide treatment — it is banned for food in the EU.

  4. 04Test before you ship

    Test each lot for aflatoxin, residues, Salmonella and dyes at a Spices Board or NABL lab.

  5. 05Pack and ship

    Pack in lined bags or cartons with lot numbers, stuff, file the shipping bill and get the phytosanitary and origin certificates.

  6. 06File returns with the Board

    CRES holders file periodic export returns with the Spices Board; keep them on time to keep the registration valid.

  7. 07Get paid and close the file

    Send the original documents through your bank (or to the buyer if paid in advance). Once the money arrives, get the e-BRC and claim RoDTEP and drawback where they apply.

Meet buyers

Trade fairs

Questions

Questions about exporting spices

Do I need CRES for one small shipment?
Yes. CRES is required by law for exporting listed spices, whatever the size. The ₹3 lakh RCMC relief does not replace it.
What is the biggest reason spices are rejected abroad?
Salmonella, aflatoxin, pesticide residues and ethylene oxide top the Spices Board’s list of risks reported in export consignments.
Should I export whole or ground spices?
Start with whole spices: they are easier to test and keep. Ground spices need a clean grinding unit and stricter microbial control.
What is steam sterilisation and do I need it?
A treatment that kills bacteria without chemicals. Many EU and US buyers ask for it to meet the Salmonella rule; it is the accepted alternative to ethylene oxide.
Where do I find each country’s limits?
The Spices Board publishes SPS requirements and pesticide MRLs under Quality on indianspices.com, and APEDA runs an international MRL database.
Sources (7)
  1. Spices Board — SPS requirements for spices (risks reported in export consignments, with limits)
  2. Spices Board — Quality evaluation laboratories (9 locations)
  3. Spices Board India — exporter registration (CRES) and quality
  4. Spices Board — Major item/country-wise export of spices (2021-22 to 2025-26)
  5. APEDA — International Pesticide MRL Database
  6. Codex Alimentarius — list of standards
  7. Directorate of Marketing & Inspection — AGMARK grade standards (commodity-wise rules)

Who buys Indian spices

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