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Farm produce

Export cardamom

Small green cardamom for Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait; large cardamom from Sikkim. CRES needed; residues decide entry.

Free to exportHS 0908.31
HS code
0908.31
Cardamom neither crushed nor ground (0908 31 — small green Alleppey and Coorg, bleached, large cardamom) and crushed or ground (0908 32 — powder, seeds, husk).
Export policy
Free to export
Export is Free under ITC(HS). A CRES is compulsory; small cardamom is first sold through Spices Board-licensed e-auctions, and dealers need a Board licence.
Registrations
4
IEC, GST and those below
India’s exports, 2025-26
US$ 449 mn
to 100 countries

What is exported

Cardamom exports were about US$ 450 million in 2025-26 (TradeStat). The UAE and Saudi Arabia together bought more than half; Bangladesh, Kuwait, the USA, Iraq and Canada followed. Gulf buyers use green cardamom in coffee and rice, and Guatemala is India’s main competitor.

Varieties, grades and forms

  • Alleppey Green Extra Bold (AGEB) and Bold (AGB)Top grades by capsule size; the Gulf pays most for large, deep-green capsules.
  • Coorg GreenKarnataka cardamom, paler green with strong aroma; also a GI.
  • Bleached and half-bleached cardamomSmaller market segment.
  • Large cardamom (Amomum)Smoky, dark pods from Sikkim and the eastern Himalaya; the UAE is the main buyer (Spices Board).
  • Cardamom seeds and powderUnder 0908 32, for food makers and retail.

Where it is grown or made

  • KeralaIdukki (Kumily, Vandanmedu, Puttady) — most of India’s small cardamom.
  • Tamil NaduBodinayakanur and Theni — Spices Board e-auction centre.
  • KarnatakaKodagu, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru.
  • Sikkim, Darjeeling and Arunachal PradeshLarge cardamom.

Season

Small cardamom is picked in rounds from about August to February; auctions run through the year.

Export packing

  • Polythene-lined jute bags or cartons; light-proof packing keeps the green colour.
  • Small lots often go by air; larger lots in LCL or 20-ft containers.

Who buys abroad

  • Spice and coffee traders in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Iraq
  • Indian and South Asian grocery importers and distributors
  • Food manufacturers buying sterilised spice as an ingredient (snacks, sauces, ready meals)

The quality buyers ask for

Capsule size
Graded in millimetres (for example 6–7 mm, 7–8 mm, 8 mm and above)
Colour and litre weight
Deep green, uniform; minimum grams per litre set in the contract
Residues
Pesticide residues within the importing country’s MRLs — tested lot by lot

Certificates

  • Spices Board CRESRequiredCertificate of Registration as Exporter of Spices; required by law before exporting a listed spice.
  • FSSAI licenceRequiredCentral licence from FSSAI for the premises where food is packed or stored for export.
  • ISO 22000 / FSSC 22000Often askedFood-safety management certification; FSSC 22000 is GFSI-recognised and asked for by large buyers.
  • Organic (NPOP / NOP / EU)Often askedOnly if sold as organic: NPOP certification from an accredited body plus the market’s own organic rules.

Shipping, storage and shelf life

Container load

Usually shipped in smaller lots: air cargo or LCL; a 20-ft container typically carries about 8–10 tonnes in cartons.

How it travels

Air from Kochi or Chennai for the Gulf; sea for larger lots.

Storage

Cool, dark, dry storage in lined packs to keep colour.

Shelf life

Typically about a year with good colour if kept dry and dark.

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.
  • Gulf countries: Arabic text (Arabic plus English is normal), production and expiry dates, net weight, country of origin and importer details. Confirm current rules with your importer.
  • Lot or batch number on every pack and bag — required by FSSAI’s Labelling and Display Regulations, 2020, and used by every importing country 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 forms on indianspices.com → Quality). NABL-accredited private labs are also used; check the Board’s list of mandatory tests 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, and it also serves as your RCMC.indianspices.org.in ↗
  • FSSAIFood business licence. FSSAI puts food exporters under the Central licence; apply on FoSCoS for the premises you pack from.foscos.fssai.gov.in ↗

Quality and checks

  • Pesticide residues must meet the destination country’s MRLs; check them in APEDA’s International Pesticide MRL Database before you buy the crop.
  • Gulf and EU buyers test every lot for pesticide residues; cardamom is a crop where residue failures have cost Indian exporters whole markets. Buy from growers who keep spray records.
  • Grade by capsule size (mm), colour and weight per litre; no artificial colour.
  • Test each lot at an NABL-accredited or board laboratory before shipment and keep the report with the lot number.
How to start small

Get a CRES, buy graded lots through a licensed dealer at the Spices Board e-auction (Bodinayakanur or Puttady), test for residues and send a small air or LCL shipment to a Gulf importer. Since 15 September 2026, a consignment worth up to ₹3 lakh FOB does not need an RCMC (DGFT Notification 36/2026-27); registrations required by a law still apply.

Where new exporters go wrong

  • Residues above the importing country’s limit — a single failure can bring a buyer-wide ban.
  • Colour-enhanced or moisture-loaded capsules; buyers check weight per litre and colour.

Documents this product needs

Schemes that apply

Sources (5)
  1. Department of Commerce — TradeStat, India’s exports by commodity and country (2025-26)
  2. Spices Board — Major item/country-wise export of spices (2021-22 to 2025-26)
  3. Spices Board India — exporter registration (CRES), auctions and quality
  4. Spices Board — List of GI tags registered for spices (as of 15 Sep 2026)
  5. DGFT Notification 36/2026-27 (15 Sep 2026) — no RCMC needed for consignments up to ₹3 lakh FOB

Trade data

Indian cardamom exports in numbers

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

Exports in 2025-26
US$ 449 mn
+22.4% a year on average, 2020-21 to 2025-26
Change from 2024-25
↑ +112%
US$ 212 mn → US$ 449 mn
Buyer countries
100
Average export price
US$ 26.62
per kg · 16,882 tonnes shipped · US$ 25.84 the year before
United Arab Emirates: US$ 137 mnSaudi Arabia: US$ 125 mnBangladesh: US$ 47.7 mnKuwait: US$ 20.4 mnUnited States of America: US$ 17 mnIraq: US$ 13.9 mnCanada: US$ 11.7 mnMalaysia: US$ 10 mnAustralia: US$ 8.2 mnSingapore: US$ 4.7 mnIran: US$ 3.9 mnUnited Kingdom: US$ 3.5 mnNetherlands: US$ 3.4 mnOman: US$ 3.2 mnEgypt: US$ 2.9 mnBahrain: US$ 2.8 mnChina: US$ 2.7 mnYemen: US$ 2.7 mnRussia: US$ 2.3 mnSouth Africa: US$ 2.2 mnJapan: US$ 2.1 mnIsrael: US$ 1.8 mnGermany: US$ 1.8 mnJordan: US$ 1.8 mnMorocco: US$ 1.8 mnUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 137 mnUnited Arab EmiratesSaudi Arabia: US$ 125 mnBangladesh: US$ 47.7 mnBangladeshKuwait: US$ 20.4 mnUnited States of America: US$ 17 mnUnited States of AmericaIraq: US$ 13.9 mnIraqCanada: US$ 11.7 mnMalaysia: US$ 10 mnMalaysiaAustralia: US$ 8.2 mnAustraliaSingapore: US$ 4.7 mnIran: US$ 3.9 mnUnited Kingdom: US$ 3.5 mnNetherlands: US$ 3.4 mnOman: US$ 3.2 mnEgypt: US$ 2.9 mnBahrain: US$ 2.8 mnChina: US$ 2.7 mnYemen: US$ 2.7 mnRussia: US$ 2.3 mnSouth Africa: US$ 2.2 mnJapan: US$ 2.1 mnIsrael: US$ 1.8 mnGermany: US$ 1.8 mnJordan: US$ 1.8 mnMorocco: US$ 1.8 mnIndia
Where Indian cardamom goes — among our 80 countries, 2025-26
2020-21: US$ 164 mn1642020-212021-22: US$ 206 mn2062021-222022-23: US$ 127 mn1272022-232023-24: US$ 139 mn1392023-242024-25: US$ 212 mn2122024-252025-26: US$ 449 mn4492025-26
India’s cardamom exports, year by year · US$ million

The price cycle

India’s average export price per kg each year (total value ÷ total quantity). Highest in 2025-26, lowest in 2022-23 — a 95% swing between them. Keep this swing in mind when you quote.

2020-21: US$ 20.83 per kg2021-22: US$ 16.27 per kg2022-23: US$ 13.66 per kg13.662024-25: US$ 25.84 per kg2025-26: US$ 26.62 per kg26.622020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-26
Average export price of Indian cardamom · 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$ 164 mn2020-212021-22: US$ 206 mn2021-222022-23: US$ 127 mn2022-232023-24: US$ 139 mn2023-242024-25: US$ 212 mn2024-252025-26: US$ 449 mn2025-262026-27: US$ 331 mn (US$ 191 mn – US$ 573 mn)3312026-272027-28: US$ 384 mn (US$ 208 mn – US$ 709 mn)3842027-28
India’s cardamom exports and projection · hollow bars = projection, line = likely range
By 2027-28: US$ 384 mn

Likely range US$ 208 mn to US$ 709 mn.

Trend
+16.1% a year
Fit (R²)
0.38 — weak, read with care
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
1United Arab EmiratesUS$ 137 mn+58.2%
2Saudi ArabiaUS$ 125 mn+189.6%
3BangladeshUS$ 47.7 mn+981.9%
4KuwaitUS$ 20.4 mn+69%
5United States of AmericaUS$ 17 mn+12.2%
6IraqUS$ 13.9 mn+91.2%
7CanadaUS$ 11.7 mn+68.9%
8MalaysiaUS$ 10 mn+96.4%
9AustraliaUS$ 8.2 mn+39.3%
10SingaporeUS$ 4.7 mn+134.7%
11IranUS$ 3.9 mn+264.2%
12United KingdomUS$ 3.5 mn+136.5%

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. BangladeshUS$ 4.4 mn → US$ 47.7 mn+981.9%
  2. Saudi ArabiaUS$ 43.3 mn → US$ 125 mn+189.6%
  3. SingaporeUS$ 2 mn → US$ 4.7 mn+134.7%
  4. MalaysiaUS$ 5.1 mn → US$ 10 mn+96.4%
  5. IraqUS$ 7.3 mn → US$ 13.9 mn+91.2%
  6. KuwaitUS$ 12 mn → US$ 20.4 mn+69%
  7. CanadaUS$ 6.9 mn → US$ 11.7 mn+68.9%
  8. United Arab EmiratesUS$ 86.9 mn → US$ 137 mn+58.2%

Low demand

No sizeable country falls in this list this year.

New buyers: Countries that bought nothing from India in 2024-25 and did in 2025-26.

  • Yemen · US$ 2.7 mn

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
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
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
Spices, cardamoms, neither crushed nor ground — large ( amomum)0908 31 10US$ 35.5 mn+31.5%1,753 tonnesUS$ 20.26 per kgwas US$ 19.75
Other cardamom; crushed or ground0908 32 90 · Spices, cardamoms, crushed or groundUS$ 4.7 mn-2.1%161 tonnesUS$ 29.41 per kgwas US$ 26.00
Spices, cardamoms, crushed or ground — powder0908 32 10US$ 3.6 mn-8.6%117 tonnesUS$ 30.95 per kgwas US$ 24.43
Spices, cardamoms, crushed or ground — small cardamom seeds0908 32 20US$ 3.6 mn+118.3%126 tonnesUS$ 28.46 per kgwas US$ 22.50
Spices, cardamoms, neither crushed nor ground — small, coorg green0908 31 30US$ 1.8 mn+33.1%56 tonnesUS$ 31.88 per kgwas US$ 27.78
Spices, cardamoms, crushed or ground — cardamom husk0908 32 30US$ 720k+80%80 tonnesUS$ 9.04 per kgwas US$ 3.62
Spices, cardamoms, neither crushed nor ground — small, mixed0908 31 50US$ 190k+137.5%6.5 tonnesUS$ 29.04 per kgwas US$ 7.93
Small, bleached,half bleached or bleachable0908 31 40 · Spices, cardamoms, neither crushed nor groundUS$ 20k-60%0.9 tonnesUS$ 22.08 per kgwas US$ 30.08

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$ 664 mn
2023
India among exporters
#2
of 86 countries
India’s share of world exports
13.8%
US$ 102 mn
Left for others to win
US$ 640 mn
exported by other countries

Top exporters — your competitors

  1. 1GuatemalaUS$ 369 mn 49.7%
  2. 2IndiaUS$ 102 mn 13.8%
  3. 3United Arab EmiratesUS$ 101 mn 13.6%
  4. 4IndonesiaUS$ 65.6 mn 8.8%
  5. 5Saudi ArabiaUS$ 21.2 mn 2.9%
  6. 6BhutanUS$ 14.9 mn 2%
  7. 7SingaporeUS$ 12.1 mn 1.6%
  8. 8NetherlandsUS$ 10 mn 1.3%
  9. 9TürkiyeUS$ 7.4 mn 1%
  10. 10GermanyUS$ 5.7 mn 0.8%

Biggest buyers in the world

  1. 1Saudi ArabiaUS$ 140 mn 21%
  2. 2United Arab EmiratesUS$ 121 mn 18.2%
  3. 3IndiaUS$ 86.1 mn 13%
  4. 4ChinaUS$ 69.8 mn 10.5%
  5. 5JordanUS$ 30.9 mn 4.7%
  6. 6EgyptUS$ 28.9 mn 4.4%
  7. 7KuwaitUS$ 17.9 mn 2.7%
  8. 8USAUS$ 17.4 mn 2.6%
  9. 9SingaporeUS$ 13.7 mn 2.1%
  10. 10TürkiyeUS$ 11.9 mn 1.8%

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.

Saudi ArabiaUS$ 251 mnIndia 21.7% · gap US$ 196 mn
United Arab EmiratesUS$ 121 mnIndia 25% · gap US$ 90.4 mn
ChinaUS$ 52.1 mnIndia 0.2% · gap US$ 52 mn
United States of AmericaUS$ 28.3 mnIndia 41% · gap US$ 16.7 mn
EgyptUS$ 12.5 mnIndia 0% · gap US$ 12.5 mn
QatarUS$ 13.7 mnIndia 12.4% · gap US$ 12 mn
KuwaitUS$ 17.9 mnIndia 38.2% · gap US$ 11.1 mn
GermanyUS$ 10.6 mnIndia 5.9% · gap US$ 10 mn
NetherlandsUS$ 10.4 mnIndia 4.6% · gap US$ 9.9 mn
SingaporeUS$ 11.6 mnIndia 18.8% · gap US$ 9.5 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 cardamom

Small green cardamom is grown commercially mainly in India and Guatemala; Guatemala ships more by volume, while Indian cardamom is prized for colour and aroma. The Gulf — especially Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait — is the core market, where cardamom is used in coffee and rice. Large cardamom from Sikkim mostly goes to the UAE. Residue compliance is the deciding factor for growth.

  1. 01Get your IEC and CRES

    Apply for the IEC on the DGFT portal, then the CRES on the Spices Board portal; add an FSSAI licence if you pack or process.

  2. 02Buy at the e-auction

    Small cardamom is first sold at Spices Board-licensed e-auctions (Bodinayakanur, Puttady); buy through a licensed dealer.

  3. 03Grade and residue-test

    Grade by size and colour; test each lot for residues against the destination’s limits before you commit.

  4. 04Clean, sterilise and test

    Machine-clean and sort the lot, steam-sterilise it if the buyer or market needs it, and test residues, microbiology and contaminants at an NABL or Spices Board lab.

  5. 05Agree specification, price and payment

    Put grade, tests, packing, Incoterm (FOB or CIF), shipment period and payment (advance, LC or documents against payment) in a written contract. Cover the buyer with ECGC if you give credit.

  6. 06File the shipping bill and ship

    Your customs broker files the shipping bill on ICEGATE with the invoice and packing list. After customs clearance the line issues the bill of lading; get the certificate of origin from the right agency if the buyer needs a trade-agreement rate.

  7. 07Get paid and close the file

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

Meet buyers

Trade fairs

Questions

Questions about exporting cardamom

Where can I buy cardamom for export?
At the Spices Board-licensed e-auctions in Bodinayakanur and Puttady, through licensed dealers.
Which markets pay most?
Saudi Arabia and the UAE buy the largest bold green grades and pay for colour and size.
What is the biggest risk?
Pesticide residues. Test every lot and buy from growers who keep spray records.
Which cardamoms have GI tags?
Alleppey Green Cardamom, Coorg Green Cardamom and Sikkim Large Cardamom.
What RoDTEP does cardamom get?
1% of FOB on all cardamom lines (Appendix 4R), continued to 31 Dec 2026.
Sources (6)
  1. Spices Board — Major item/country-wise export of spices (2021-22 to 2025-26)
  2. Spices Board India — exporter registration (CRES), auctions and quality
  3. Spices Board — List of GI tags registered for spices (as of 15 Sep 2026)
  4. Spices Board — Quality evaluation laboratories
  5. Department of Commerce — TradeStat, India’s exports by commodity and country (2025-26)
  6. DGFT — Appendix 4R, RoDTEP schedule for DTA exports w.e.f. 10 Oct 2024 (Notification No. 32, 30 Sep 2024)

Who buys Indian cardamom

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