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Farm produce

Export garlic

Fresh garlic is a Spices Board spice: CRES needed. Small export trade; China dominates world supply.

Free to exportHS 0703.20
HS code
0703.20
Garlic, fresh or chilled (0703 20 00). Dehydrated garlic flakes and powder are under 0712.
Export policy
Free to export
Export is Free under ITC(HS) Schedule 2, but garlic is on the Spices Board list, so you need a CRES. Confirm current status on dgft.gov.in.
Registrations
4
IEC, GST and those below
India’s exports, 2025-26
US$ 5.2 mn
to 25 countries

What is exported

Fresh garlic exports were only about US$ 5 million in 2025-26 (TradeStat), led by Malaysia, the UAE, Bangladesh, Bhutan and the USA; the Spices Board also records sizeable shipments to Indonesia in recent years. Indian garlic is strong-flavoured, with many small cloves, which suits ethnic and processing buyers more than supermarkets that want large single bulbs.

Varieties, grades and forms

  • Ooty and Mandsaur-type garlicLarger cloves; preferred for export lots.
  • Desi multi-clove garlicSmall cloves, strong pungency; sold to ethnic and processing buyers.
  • Grades by bulb diameterBuyers order by diameter band in millimetres; agree the band in the contract.

Where it is grown or made

  • Madhya PradeshMandsaur, Neemuch, Ratlam, Ujjain — Ratlam Riyawan Lahsun is a GI.
  • RajasthanKota, Baran, Jhalawar, Chittorgarh.
  • Gujarat and Uttar PradeshJamnagar and Rajkot; western UP.
  • Tamil Nadu and Kerala hillsKodaikanal and Kanthalloor-Vattavada (Idukki) — both GI garlics.

Season

Rabi crop harvested March–May; cured garlic is stored and shipped through the year.

Export packing

  • Mesh bags of 5–25 kg or open-top cartons; ventilated containers.
  • Peeled cloves go in vacuum or modified-atmosphere packs under refrigeration.

Who buys abroad

  • Indian and South Asian grocery importers and distributors
  • Dehydration and paste processors abroad
  • Wholesale market traders and importers in neighbouring countries

The quality buyers ask for

Bulb size
By diameter band agreed in the contract
Condition
Fully cured and dry, outer skin intact, no sprouts, mould or loose cloves
Residues
Destination MRLs

Certificates

  • Spices Board CRESRequiredCertificate of Registration as Exporter of Spices; required by law before exporting a listed spice.
  • Phytosanitary certificateRequiredIssued by Plant Quarantine (DPPQS) for each consignment after inspection; apply on PQMS.
  • FSSAI licenceRequiredCentral licence from FSSAI for the premises where food is packed or stored for export.
  • GLOBALG.A.P.Often askedFarm-level good agricultural practice certification wanted by European supermarket buyers of fresh produce.

Shipping, storage and shelf life

Container load

A 40-ft ventilated or reefer container typically carries about 25–28 tonnes in mesh bags.

How it travels

Sea freight from Mundra, JNPA or Chennai; road to Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

Storage

Dry, airy storage; cold storage typically near 0 °C with low humidity for long holding.

Shelf life

Several months for well-cured garlic in cold storage.

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.
  • Fresh produce cartons for the EU (Regulation 2023/2429): packer’s name and address, produce and variety, country of origin, class, size code and net weight.
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 ↗
  • Plant Quarantine (DPPQS)Phytosanitary certificate for each consignment of plant produce, applied for online on PQMS. Some markets also want the packhouse or processing unit registered.pqms.cgg.gov.in ↗

Quality and checks

  • A phytosanitary certificate from Plant Quarantine for every consignment; some markets add treatment or pest-free-area conditions — check the importing country’s rules first.
  • Well-cured, dry bulbs with intact skin, graded by diameter; no sprouting, mould or loose cloves.
  • Pesticide residues must meet the destination country’s MRLs; check them in APEDA’s International Pesticide MRL Database before you buy the crop.
How to start small

Get a CRES, then offer graded, cured garlic from the Madhya Pradesh or Rajasthan crop to an ethnic importer in Malaysia or the Gulf. Ship in mesh bags in a ventilated or reefer container. 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

  • Competing on price with Chinese garlic in supermarket channels — Indian garlic usually cannot match its size and price.
  • Shipping before curing is complete — bulbs sweat, mould and sprout on the way.

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 — Spices under the purview of the Board (52 spices)
  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 garlic exports in numbers

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

Exports in 2025-26
US$ 5.2 mn
+1.7% a year on average, 2020-21 to 2025-26
Change from 2024-25
↓ -57%
US$ 12.1 mn → US$ 5.2 mn
Buyer countries
25
Average export price
US$ 0.75
per kg · 6,950 tonnes shipped · US$ 0.98 the year before
Malaysia: US$ 1.4 mnUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 910kBangladesh: US$ 600kTaiwan: US$ 430kBhutan: US$ 420kUnited States of America: US$ 260kSenegal: US$ 200kAustralia: US$ 160kVietnam: US$ 140kQatar: US$ 120kOman: US$ 100kCanada: US$ 90kKuwait: US$ 60kCôte d’Ivoire: US$ 60kGhana: US$ 60kSaudi Arabia: US$ 50kNepal: US$ 40kBahrain: US$ 30kPortugal: US$ 20kSpain: US$ 20kTogo: US$ 20kFrance: US$ 10kMaldives: US$ 10kSingapore: US$ 10kMalaysia: US$ 1.4 mnMalaysiaUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 910kUnited Arab EmiratesBangladesh: US$ 600kBangladeshTaiwan: US$ 430kTaiwanBhutan: US$ 420kBhutanUnited States of America: US$ 260kUnited States of AmericaSenegal: US$ 200kAustralia: US$ 160kVietnam: US$ 140kQatar: US$ 120kOman: US$ 100kCanada: US$ 90kKuwait: US$ 60kCôte d’Ivoire: US$ 60kGhana: US$ 60kSaudi Arabia: US$ 50kNepal: US$ 40kBahrain: US$ 30kPortugal: US$ 20kSpain: US$ 20kTogo: US$ 20kFrance: US$ 10kMaldives: US$ 10kSingapore: US$ 10kIndia
Where Indian garlic goes — among our 80 countries, 2025-26
2020-21: US$ 4.8 mn4.82020-212021-22: US$ 2.9 mn2.92021-222022-23: US$ 11.3 mn112022-232023-24: US$ 25.4 mn252023-242024-25: US$ 12.1 mn122024-252025-26: US$ 5.2 mn5.22025-26
India’s garlic exports, year by year · US$ million

The price cycle

India’s average export price per kg each year (total value ÷ total quantity). Highest in 2020-21, lowest in 2022-23 — a 247% swing between them. Keep this swing in mind when you quote.

2020-21: US$ 1.06 per kg1.062021-22: US$ 0.65 per kg2022-23: US$ 0.31 per kg0.312024-25: US$ 0.98 per kg2025-26: US$ 0.75 per kg0.752020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-26
Average export price of Indian garlic · 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$ 4.8 mn2020-212021-22: US$ 2.9 mn2021-222022-23: US$ 11.3 mn2022-232023-24: US$ 25.4 mn2023-242024-25: US$ 12.1 mn2024-252025-26: US$ 5.2 mn2025-262026-27: US$ 13.8 mn (US$ 4.5 mn – US$ 42.1 mn)142026-272027-28: US$ 16.2 mn (US$ 4.7 mn – US$ 56.1 mn)162027-28
India’s garlic exports and projection · hollow bars = projection, line = likely range
By 2027-28: US$ 16.2 mn

Likely range US$ 4.7 mn to US$ 56.1 mn.

Trend
+17.1% a year
Fit (R²)
0.14 — 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$ 1.4 mn-18%
2United Arab EmiratesUS$ 910k-3.2%
3BangladeshUS$ 600k-90.1%
4TaiwanUS$ 430k+377.8%
5BhutanUS$ 420k-14.3%
6United States of AmericaUS$ 260k-60%
7SenegalUS$ 200k—
8AustraliaUS$ 160k+1,500%
9VietnamUS$ 140k-57.6%
10QatarUS$ 120k+9.1%
11OmanUS$ 100k-16.7%
12CanadaUS$ 90k—

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

No sizeable country falls in this list this year.

Low demand

  1. BangladeshUS$ 6.1 mn → US$ 600k-90.1%
  2. MalaysiaUS$ 1.7 mn → US$ 1.4 mn-18%

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
Vegetables, alliaceous, garlic, fresh or chilled — garlic fresh or chilled0703 20 00US$ 5.2 mn-57%6,950 tonnesUS$ 0.75 per kgwas US$ 0.98

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$ 2.9 bn
2023
India among exporters
#11
of 115 countries
India’s share of world exports
0.8%
US$ 27.6 mn
Left for others to win
US$ 3.37 bn
exported by other countries

Top exporters — your competitors

  1. 1ChinaUS$ 2.37 bn 69.7%
  2. 2SpainUS$ 420 mn 12.4%
  3. 3ArgentinaUS$ 113 mn 3.3%
  4. 4NetherlandsUS$ 101 mn 3%
  5. 5MexicoUS$ 39.6 mn 1.2%
  6. 6United Arab EmiratesUS$ 39.4 mn 1.2%
  7. 7FranceUS$ 38.9 mn 1.1%
  8. 8EgyptUS$ 36.8 mn 1.1%
  9. 9PeruUS$ 30.7 mn 0.9%
  10. 10ItalyUS$ 29.3 mn 0.9%

Biggest buyers in the world

  1. 1IndonesiaUS$ 649 mn 22.3%
  2. 2USAUS$ 277 mn 9.5%
  3. 3MalaysiaUS$ 234 mn 8.1%
  4. 4BrazilUS$ 128 mn 4.4%
  5. 5Viet NamUS$ 117 mn 4%
  6. 6GermanyUS$ 104 mn 3.6%
  7. 7FranceUS$ 78.3 mn 2.7%
  8. 8United KingdomUS$ 75.3 mn 2.6%
  9. 9NetherlandsUS$ 70.3 mn 2.4%
  10. 10ItalyUS$ 68.9 mn 2.4%

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$ 748 mnIndia 0% · gap US$ 748 mn
United States of AmericaUS$ 314 mnIndia 0% · gap US$ 314 mn
MalaysiaUS$ 313 mnIndia 0.7% · gap US$ 311 mn
VietnamUS$ 151 mnIndia 0.6% · gap US$ 150 mn
GermanyUS$ 135 mnIndia 0% · gap US$ 135 mn
NetherlandsUS$ 103 mnIndia 0% · gap US$ 103 mn
ItalyUS$ 91.4 mnIndia 0% · gap US$ 91.4 mn
FranceUS$ 91.3 mnIndia 0.1% · gap US$ 91.2 mn
United KingdomUS$ 75.3 mnIndia 0% · gap US$ 75.3 mn
CanadaUS$ 73 mnIndia 0.1% · gap US$ 72.9 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 garlic

China dominates the world garlic trade, and Indian garlic — smaller bulbs, many cloves, strong pungency — sells mostly to ethnic and processing buyers rather than mainstream supermarkets. Malaysia, the UAE, Bangladesh and Indonesia are the steady outlets. Export volumes swing with domestic prices: in years of high Indian prices, exports shrink. Openings are GI garlics with a distinct story, and peeled or processed garlic.

  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 cured garlic

    Buy at Mandsaur, Neemuch or Kota markets after curing; check bulb size and dryness.

  3. 03Inspection and phytosanitary certificate

    Apply on PQMS; Plant Quarantine inspects the lot (and fumigation or treatment if the importing country requires it) before issuing the certificate.

  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 garlic

Why is a CRES needed for fresh garlic?
Garlic is one of the 52 spices listed by the Spices Board, so exporters must register with it.
Can Indian garlic compete with Chinese garlic?
Rarely on size and price in supermarkets; it competes on flavour in ethnic and processing channels.
Which Indian garlics have GI tags?
Kodaikanal Malaipoondu, Kanthalloor Vattavada Veluthulli and Ratlam Riyawan Lahsun (Spices Board GI list).
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 garlic get?
1.9% of FOB, capped at ₹1.2 per kg (Appendix 4R).
Sources (5)
  1. Spices Board — Major item/country-wise export of spices (2021-22 to 2025-26)
  2. Spices Board — List of GI tags registered for spices (as of 15 Sep 2026)
  3. Spices Board — Spices under the purview of the Board (52 spices)
  4. Department of Commerce — TradeStat, India’s exports by commodity and country (2025-26)
  5. DGFT — Appendix 4R, RoDTEP schedule for DTA exports w.e.f. 10 Oct 2024 (Notification No. 32, 30 Sep 2024)

Who buys Indian garlic

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