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Farm produce

Export coriander seed

Whole and split coriander from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, mainly for Malaysia, the Gulf, the USA and the UK. CRES needed.

Free to exportHS 0909.21
HS code
0909.21
Coriander seeds, whole (0909 21) and crushed or ground (0909 22). Fresh coriander leaves are a vegetable (0709).
Export policy
Free to export
Export is Free under ITC(HS); CRES from the Spices Board is compulsory.
Registrations
4
IEC, GST and those below
India’s exports, 2025-26
US$ 77 mn
to 91 countries

What is exported

Coriander seed exports were about US$ 77 million in 2025-26 (TradeStat). Malaysia is the largest buyer, followed by the UAE, the USA, Saudi Arabia, the UK, Nepal and South Africa. Buyers range from curry-powder makers to ethnic grocers; Russia, Ukraine and Morocco are the main competing suppliers.

Varieties, grades and forms

  • Eagle and Badami gradesTrade grades by colour and boldness; eagle is greener and fetches more.
  • Split (dal) corianderSplit seed for direct use and grinding.
  • Coriander powderUnder 0909 22; sterilisation needed for EU, US and Australian buyers.

Where it is grown or made

  • RajasthanKota, Baran, Jhalawar; Ramganj Mandi is the main trading market.
  • Madhya PradeshGuna, Neemuch, Mandsaur.
  • GujaratSaurashtra; processing at Gondal and Rajkot.
  • MaharashtraLatur — Kasti Coriander is a GI.

Season

Rabi crop harvested February–April; new-crop arrivals peak in March and April.

Export packing

  • Jute or PP bags of 25 or 50 kg, with an inner liner where moisture matters; buyer’s shipping marks on each bag.
  • Loaded in 20-ft dry containers lined with kraft paper, with desiccants against condensation; fumigation before stuffing where the buyer asks.

Who buys abroad

  • Spice grinders and blenders who pack under their own or supermarket brands
  • 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

Colour grade
Eagle, Badami, parrot and similar trade grades
Purity and splits
Purity (often 98–99%) and maximum split % set in the contract
Microbiology
Salmonella absent in 25 g for the EU and Australia

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.
  • HACCPOften askedFood-safety plan for the processing unit; most importers ask for it.
  • ISO 22000 / FSSC 22000Often askedFood-safety management certification; FSSC 22000 is GFSI-recognised and asked for by large buyers.
  • HalalOften askedAsked for by many Gulf, Malaysian and Indonesian buyers of processed foods; use a body the destination recognises.

Shipping, storage and shelf life

Container load

Coriander is bulky: a 20-ft container typically holds only about 10–12 tonnes of whole seed; a 40-ft is often used.

How it travels

Sea freight from Mundra or JNPA.

Storage

Dry, cool godown; protect colour from sunlight.

Shelf life

Whole seed typically keeps a year or more; powder much less.

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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
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

  • Ethylene oxide must not be used. The EU limit is 0.1 mg/kg on most spices and 0.02 mg/kg on curry powder, masala mixes and chilli (Spices Board SPS list); steam-sterilise instead.
  • Salmonella must be absent in 25 g for the EU and Australia; buyers also check moisture, extraneous matter and mould.
  • Pesticide residues must meet the destination country’s MRLs; check them in APEDA’s International Pesticide MRL Database before you buy the crop.
  • Buyers specify colour (green, parrot or eagle grades), split percentage, admixture and moisture.
  • Test each lot at an NABL-accredited or board laboratory before shipment and keep the report with the lot number.
How to start small

Buy machine-cleaned, sortexed coriander at Ramganj Mandi or Kota, test it, and ship a 20-ft container (or LCL) to a Malaysian or Gulf spice grinder. 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

  • Colour fades in storage; old-crop seed sold as new crop leads to claims.
  • Salmonella in ground coriander — sterilise before grinding for the EU, USA and Australia.

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 — SPS requirements for spices (risks reported in export consignments)
  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 coriander seed exports in numbers

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

Exports in 2025-26
US$ 77 mn
+2.9% a year on average, 2020-21 to 2025-26
Change from 2024-25
↑ +2.9%
US$ 74.8 mn → US$ 77 mn
Buyer countries
91
Average export price
US$ 1.28
per kg · 60,211 tonnes shipped · US$ 1.24 the year before
Malaysia: US$ 18 mnUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 9.6 mnUnited States of America: US$ 6.5 mnSaudi Arabia: US$ 5.9 mnUnited Kingdom: US$ 5 mnNepal: US$ 4.7 mnSouth Africa: US$ 3.4 mnAustralia: US$ 2.2 mnCanada: US$ 2 mnSri Lanka: US$ 1.7 mnOman: US$ 1.3 mnKuwait: US$ 1.2 mnQatar: US$ 1.1 mnSingapore: US$ 1.1 mnNetherlands: US$ 920kEgypt: US$ 820kIraq: US$ 800kNigeria: US$ 750kAlgeria: US$ 640kBahrain: US$ 610kYemen: US$ 590kThailand: US$ 530kChina: US$ 510kItaly: US$ 470kMalaysia: US$ 18 mnMalaysiaUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 9.6 mnUnited Arab EmiratesUnited States of America: US$ 6.5 mnUnited States of AmericaSaudi Arabia: US$ 5.9 mnUnited Kingdom: US$ 5 mnUnited KingdomNepal: US$ 4.7 mnNepalSouth Africa: US$ 3.4 mnSouth AfricaAustralia: US$ 2.2 mnCanada: US$ 2 mnSri Lanka: US$ 1.7 mnOman: US$ 1.3 mnKuwait: US$ 1.2 mnQatar: US$ 1.1 mnSingapore: US$ 1.1 mnNetherlands: US$ 920kEgypt: US$ 820kIraq: US$ 800kNigeria: US$ 750kAlgeria: US$ 640kBahrain: US$ 610kYemen: US$ 590kThailand: US$ 530kChina: US$ 510kItaly: US$ 470kIndia
Where Indian coriander seed goes — among our 80 countries, 2025-26
2020-21: US$ 66.8 mn672020-212021-22: US$ 64.7 mn652021-222022-23: US$ 82.6 mn832022-232023-24: US$ 115 mn1152023-242024-25: US$ 74.8 mn752024-252025-26: US$ 77 mn772025-26
India’s coriander seed 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 30% swing between them. Keep this swing in mind when you quote.

2020-21: US$ 1.17 per kg1.172021-22: US$ 1.33 per kg2022-23: US$ 1.52 per kg1.522024-25: US$ 1.24 per kg2025-26: US$ 1.28 per kg1.282020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-26
Average export price of Indian coriander seed · 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$ 66.8 mn2020-212021-22: US$ 64.7 mn2021-222022-23: US$ 82.6 mn2022-232023-24: US$ 115 mn2023-242024-25: US$ 74.8 mn2024-252025-26: US$ 77 mn2025-262026-27: US$ 91.1 mn (US$ 68.1 mn – US$ 122 mn)912026-272027-28: US$ 95.1 mn (US$ 68.7 mn – US$ 132 mn)952027-28
India’s coriander seed exports and projection · hollow bars = projection, line = likely range
By 2027-28: US$ 95.1 mn

Likely range US$ 68.7 mn to US$ 132 mn.

Trend
+4.3% a year
Fit (R²)
0.15 — 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
1MalaysiaUS$ 18 mn+11.6%
2United Arab EmiratesUS$ 9.6 mn-10.8%
3United States of AmericaUS$ 6.5 mn-4%
4Saudi ArabiaUS$ 5.9 mn+12.6%
5United KingdomUS$ 5 mn-3.9%
6NepalUS$ 4.7 mn+23%
7South AfricaUS$ 3.4 mn+4%
8AustraliaUS$ 2.2 mn+11.6%
9CanadaUS$ 2 mn-8.8%
10Sri LankaUS$ 1.7 mn+33.1%
11OmanUS$ 1.3 mn+12.5%
12KuwaitUS$ 1.2 mn-15.8%

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. Sri LankaUS$ 1.3 mn → US$ 1.7 mn+33.1%
  2. NepalUS$ 3.8 mn → US$ 4.7 mn+23%
  3. Saudi ArabiaUS$ 5.2 mn → US$ 5.9 mn+12.6%
  4. OmanUS$ 1.1 mn → US$ 1.3 mn+12.5%
  5. MalaysiaUS$ 16.1 mn → US$ 18 mn+11.6%
  6. AustraliaUS$ 2 mn → US$ 2.2 mn+11.6%

Low demand

  1. BangladeshUS$ 2.5 mn → US$ 410k-83.6%
  2. QatarUS$ 1.6 mn → US$ 1.1 mn-29.1%
  3. KuwaitUS$ 1.4 mn → US$ 1.2 mn-15.8%
  4. United Arab EmiratesUS$ 10.7 mn → US$ 9.6 mn-10.8%

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

  • Egypt · US$ 820k

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
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
Crushed or ground coriander0909 22 00 · Spices, coriander seeds, crushed or groundUS$ 22.1 mn-3.1%12,986 tonnesUS$ 1.70 per kgwas US$ 1.73
Spices, coriander seeds, neither crushed nor ground — of seed quality0909 21 10US$ 1.4 mn-41.4%1,002 tonnesUS$ 1.36 per kgwas US$ 1.04

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$ 291 mn
2023
India among exporters
#1
of 92 countries
India’s share of world exports
43.3%
US$ 117 mn
Left for others to win
US$ 153 mn
exported by other countries

Top exporters — your competitors

  1. 1IndiaUS$ 117 mn 43.3%
  2. 2ItalyUS$ 27.8 mn 10.3%
  3. 3SpainUS$ 19.6 mn 7.3%
  4. 4BulgariaUS$ 15.5 mn 5.7%
  5. 5IranUS$ 14.8 mn 5.5%
  6. 6MoroccoUS$ 11.5 mn 4.3%
  7. 7United Arab EmiratesUS$ 6.5 mn 2.4%
  8. 8PolandUS$ 6.1 mn 2.3%
  9. 9CanadaUS$ 5.3 mn 2%
  10. 10NetherlandsUS$ 4.9 mn 1.8%

Biggest buyers in the world

  1. 1ChinaUS$ 38.4 mn 13.2%
  2. 2MalaysiaUS$ 22.6 mn 7.8%
  3. 3EgyptUS$ 19.3 mn 6.6%
  4. 4IndiaUS$ 18.4 mn 6.3%
  5. 5IndonesiaUS$ 16.6 mn 5.7%
  6. 6PakistanUS$ 13.9 mn 4.8%
  7. 7Sri LankaUS$ 13.6 mn 4.7%
  8. 8USAUS$ 13.3 mn 4.6%
  9. 9United KingdomUS$ 12.6 mn 4.3%
  10. 10Saudi ArabiaUS$ 12.1 mn 4.2%

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.

IndonesiaUS$ 17.6 mnIndia 0.7% · gap US$ 17.5 mn
Sri LankaUS$ 12.2 mnIndia 10.5% · gap US$ 10.9 mn
GermanyUS$ 8.5 mnIndia 4.1% · gap US$ 8.1 mn
United States of AmericaUS$ 14.6 mnIndia 49% · gap US$ 7.4 mn
Saudi ArabiaUS$ 14.6 mnIndia 49.4% · gap US$ 7.4 mn
United KingdomUS$ 12.6 mnIndia 47.5% · gap US$ 6.6 mn
JapanUS$ 6 mnIndia 8% · gap US$ 5.5 mn
ChinaUS$ 6.2 mnIndia 15.7% · gap US$ 5.3 mn
South AfricaUS$ 8.1 mnIndia 49.2% · gap US$ 4.1 mn
FranceUS$ 4.2 mnIndia 9.4% · gap US$ 3.8 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 coriander seed

India is one of the largest producers and consumers of coriander seed, and exports a modest share of its crop. Russia, Ukraine, Morocco and Bulgaria compete in world trade, often on price. Malaysia, the Gulf, the USA and the UK are India’s steady buyers, mostly for curry powders and ethnic retail. Openings are sortexed, colour-graded seed and sterilised powder.

  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 mandi

    Buy new-crop seed at Ramganj Mandi, Kota or Guna in March–April; check colour and moisture.

  3. 03Clean and sortex

    Machine-clean and colour-sort to the buyer’s grade.

  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 coriander seed

Who buys most Indian coriander?
Malaysia, then the UAE, the USA, Saudi Arabia and the UK (TradeStat and Spices Board data).
Why does colour matter so much?
Greener seed signals fresh crop and better aroma; colour grades set the price.
Is there a GI coriander?
Yes — Kasti Coriander from Latur, Maharashtra.
Do I need an RCMC for a small trial shipment?
Not for a consignment up to ₹3 lakh FOB since 15 Sep 2026 (DGFT Notification 36/2026-27). Registrations that a law requires, such as the Spices Board CRES or Tobacco Board registration, still apply.
What RoDTEP does coriander get?
1% of FOB, whole or ground (Appendix 4R).
Sources (6)
  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 — 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 coriander seed

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