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Farm produce

Export sesame seed (til)

Natural and hulled sesame from Gujarat, Rajasthan, MP and UP. EU shipments need an IOPEPC Certificate of Export and strict residue testing.

Free to exportHS 1207.40
HS code
1207.40
Sesame (sesamum) seeds, whether or not broken — natural, hulled and black sesame.
Export policy
Free to export
Free under ITC(HS). Every consignment to the EU needs a Certificate of Export and a health certificate from IOPEPC before shipment, and IOPEPC has separate procedures for the USA and China.
Registrations
5
IEC, GST and those below
India’s exports, 2025-26
US$ 423 mn
to 100 countries

What is exported

India exports natural (whole) sesame for bakery and oil, and hulled sesame for tahini, confectionery and bun toppings. The Indian Oilseeds and Produce Export Promotion Council (IOPEPC) is the council for sesame and the competent authority for sesame going to the EU. We could not find a current official country-wise breakdown; check the Commerce Department’s trade data for the latest buyers.

Varieties, grades and forms

  • Natural white sesameMachine-cleaned whole seed (99/1, 98/2 purity) for bakery and oil.
  • Hulled sesameMechanically or chemically hulled; for tahini, halva and bun toppings.
  • Black sesameSought in Japan, Korea and China for confectionery.
  • Roasted sesameReady-to-use for food makers.

Where it is grown or made

  • GujaratSaurashtra and Kutch farms; hulling plants around Rajkot and Unjha; Mundra and Kandla ports.
  • Rajasthan and Madhya PradeshLarge kharif sesame area.
  • West BengalSummer sesame crop.
  • Uttar PradeshBundelkhand region.

Season

Kharif sesame is harvested September–November; summer sesame in some states adds supply around May–June.

Export packing

  • 25 kg and 50 kg PP or paper bags; hulled sesame in lined bags.
  • EU-bound lots need salmonella and ethylene-oxide checks under IOPEPC’s system.

Who buys abroad

  • Tahini and halva makers in the Middle East, Turkey and Europe
  • Bakeries and food manufacturers
  • Traders in East Asia (black sesame)

The quality buyers ask for

Purity
Hulled sesame commonly 99.95% or 99.98%; natural (unhulled) seed 98/2 or 99/1 (purity/admixture)
Free fatty acid and oil
FFA and oil content stated in the contract; low FFA shows fresh, well-stored seed
Aflatoxin (EU)
For oilseeds for direct human consumption: B1 2 µg/kg, total 4 µg/kg (Regulation (EU) 2023/915)
Microbes
Salmonella absent in 25 g — the most common reason for EU and US alerts on sesame
Ethylene oxide and residues
Ethylene oxide must not be used; pesticide residues within destination MRLs
Colour and moisture
White, brown or black as ordered; moisture limit in the contract

Certificates

  • IOPEPC RCMC and EU certificatesRequiredRCMC from IOPEPC; every EU consignment needs IOPEPC’s Certificate of Export and health certificate before shipment.
  • Phytosanitary certificateRequiredIssued by Plant Quarantine (DPPQS) for each consignment of plant produce, after inspection. Apply on PQMS.
  • FSSAI licenceRequiredCentral licence from FSSAI for the premises where the food is packed or stored for export. Apply on FoSCoS.
  • HACCPOften askedA food-safety plan that identifies hazards at each processing step and controls them. Most importers ask for it from the processing unit.
  • BRCGS Food SafetyOften askedGFSI-recognised standard asked for by UK and many EU supermarkets for private-label packing.
  • 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

A 20-ft container typically holds about 18–19 tonnes in 25 kg (hulled) or 50 kg (natural) bags.

How it travels

Sea freight, mainly from Mundra and Kandla.

Storage

Cool, dry, clean store; heat raises FFA and rancidity. Keep away from contamination sources such as birds and rodents.

Shelf life

Typically about a year for hulled seed in good 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.
  • 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).
  • 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

Use the laboratories IOPEPC accepts for its EU certificate (check iopepc.org), or APEDA-recognised and NABL-accredited labs with Salmonella, aflatoxin and ethylene-oxide methods in scope (search nabl-india.org).

Benefits of exporting this product

Where to register

  • IOPEPCRCMC from the Indian Oilseeds and Produce Export Promotion Council, and its Certificate of Export and health certificate for EU shipments.iopepc.org ↗
  • 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 ↗
  • Plant Quarantine (DPPQS)Phytosanitary certificate for each consignment of plant produce, applied for online on PQMS. Some markets also need the farm, packhouse or mill to be registered with Plant Quarantine.pqms.cgg.gov.in ↗

Quality and checks

  • Ethylene oxide: in 2020 the EU found Indian sesame with ethylene oxide more than 1,000 times the 0.05 mg/kg limit and put it under increased border checks. The check rate was later cut to 10% of consignments (Regulation (EU) 2025/1441). Confirm the current rate in the regulation’s annex.
  • Pesticide residues from IOPEPC’s EU testing list, Salmonella, and aflatoxin.
  • Purity, oil content and free fatty acids as per contract.
How to start small

Take IOPEPC membership, then buy machine-cleaned natural sesame from a Gujarat processor with a lab report and ship to a non-EU buyer first. Add the EU once you can run IOPEPC’s pre-shipment testing smoothly.

Where new exporters go wrong

  • Any ethylene oxide or sterilising-gas treatment — the EU treats it as a serious food-safety breach.
  • Shipping to the EU without the IOPEPC Certificate of Export; the consignment will not be accepted.

Documents this product needs

Schemes that apply

Sources (3)
  1. IOPEPC — RCMC and export procedures for sesame (EU, USA, China)
  2. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1441 (frequency of checks)
  3. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1540 (ethylene oxide in sesame from India)

Trade data

Indian sesame seed (til) exports in numbers

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

Exports in 2025-26
US$ 423 mn
-0.1% a year on average, 2020-21 to 2025-26
Change from 2024-25
↓ -13.8%
US$ 491 mn → US$ 423 mn
Buyer countries
100
Average export price
US$ 1.58
per kg · 2,68,707 tonnes shipped · US$ 1.96 the year before
South Korea: US$ 38.7 mnChina: US$ 30.8 mnUnited States of America: US$ 27.2 mnRussia: US$ 26.3 mnVietnam: US$ 25.3 mnIndonesia: US$ 18.5 mnTaiwan: US$ 17.1 mnIraq: US$ 14.4 mnGreece: US$ 14.1 mnIsrael: US$ 13.9 mnCanada: US$ 13.4 mnEgypt: US$ 12.7 mnThailand: US$ 11.4 mnMexico: US$ 10.7 mnSaudi Arabia: US$ 9.7 mnAustralia: US$ 9.6 mnGermany: US$ 9.4 mnUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 9.2 mnMalaysia: US$ 8.7 mnUnited Kingdom: US$ 6.4 mnPoland: US$ 6.2 mnNetherlands: US$ 6 mnSpain: US$ 5.9 mnIran: US$ 4.8 mnItaly: US$ 4.6 mnSouth Korea: US$ 38.7 mnSouth KoreaChina: US$ 30.8 mnUnited States of America: US$ 27.2 mnUnited States of AmericaRussia: US$ 26.3 mnRussiaVietnam: US$ 25.3 mnVietnamIndonesia: US$ 18.5 mnIndonesiaTaiwan: US$ 17.1 mnTaiwanIraq: US$ 14.4 mnGreece: US$ 14.1 mnIsrael: US$ 13.9 mnCanada: US$ 13.4 mnEgypt: US$ 12.7 mnThailand: US$ 11.4 mnMexico: US$ 10.7 mnSaudi Arabia: US$ 9.7 mnAustralia: US$ 9.6 mnGermany: US$ 9.4 mnUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 9.2 mnMalaysia: US$ 8.7 mnUnited Kingdom: US$ 6.4 mnPoland: US$ 6.2 mnNetherlands: US$ 6 mnSpain: US$ 5.9 mnIran: US$ 4.8 mnItaly: US$ 4.6 mnIndia
Where Indian sesame seed (til) goes — among our 80 countries, 2025-26
2020-21: US$ 426 mn4262020-212021-22: US$ 407 mn4072021-222022-23: US$ 426 mn4262022-232023-24: US$ 525 mn5252023-242024-25: US$ 491 mn4912024-252025-26: US$ 423 mn4232025-26
India’s sesame seed (til) exports, year by year · US$ million

The price cycle

India’s average export price per kg each year (total value ÷ total quantity). Highest in 2024-25, lowest in 2020-21 — a 26% swing between them. Keep this swing in mind when you quote.

2020-21: US$ 1.56 per kg1.562021-22: US$ 1.68 per kg2022-23: US$ 1.86 per kg2024-25: US$ 1.96 per kg1.962025-26: US$ 1.58 per kg1.582020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-26
Average export price of Indian sesame seed (til) · 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$ 426 mn2020-212021-22: US$ 407 mn2021-222022-23: US$ 426 mn2022-232023-24: US$ 525 mn2023-242024-25: US$ 491 mn2024-252025-26: US$ 423 mn2025-262026-27: US$ 483 mn (US$ 419 mn – US$ 557 mn)4832026-272027-28: US$ 493 mn (US$ 421 mn – US$ 578 mn)4932027-28
India’s sesame seed (til) exports and projection · hollow bars = projection, line = likely range
By 2027-28: US$ 493 mn

Likely range US$ 421 mn to US$ 578 mn.

Trend
+2.2% a year
Fit (R²)
0.16 — 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
1South KoreaUS$ 38.7 mn-9.5%
2ChinaUS$ 30.8 mn+236.8%
3United States of AmericaUS$ 27.2 mn-38.6%
4RussiaUS$ 26.3 mn-27.7%
5VietnamUS$ 25.3 mn-5.3%
6IndonesiaUS$ 18.5 mn-4.2%
7TaiwanUS$ 17.1 mn+26.5%
8IraqUS$ 14.4 mn-37.6%
9GreeceUS$ 14.1 mn-16.1%
10IsraelUS$ 13.9 mn-35.1%
11CanadaUS$ 13.4 mn-12.9%
12EgyptUS$ 12.7 mn+37%

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. MexicoUS$ 2.2 mn → US$ 10.7 mn+382.9%
  2. ChinaUS$ 9.1 mn → US$ 30.8 mn+236.8%
  3. EgyptUS$ 9.2 mn → US$ 12.7 mn+37%
  4. TaiwanUS$ 13.5 mn → US$ 17.1 mn+26.5%
  5. PolandUS$ 5.2 mn → US$ 6.2 mn+19.1%
  6. IranUS$ 4 mn → US$ 4.8 mn+18.8%

Low demand

  1. LebanonUS$ 9.7 mn → US$ 4.1 mn-58%
  2. MoroccoUS$ 6.2 mn → US$ 2.7 mn-56.1%
  3. RomaniaUS$ 6 mn → US$ 2.7 mn-55.4%
  4. AlgeriaUS$ 6.8 mn → US$ 3.5 mn-49.3%
  5. CroatiaUS$ 6.7 mn → US$ 3.6 mn-46.1%
  6. Saudi ArabiaUS$ 17.7 mn → US$ 9.7 mn-45.2%
  7. NetherlandsUS$ 9.8 mn → US$ 6 mn-39.1%
  8. United States of AmericaUS$ 44.4 mn → US$ 27.2 mn-38.6%

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 sesamum seeds whether or not broken1207 40 90 · Oil seeds, sesamum seeds, whether or not brokenUS$ 417 mn-12.4%2,64,466 tonnesUS$ 1.58 per kgwas US$ 1.94
Sesamum seed whether or not broken of seed qlty1207 40 10 · Oil seeds, sesamum seeds, whether or not brokenUS$ 6.5 mn-58.4%4,241 tonnesUS$ 1.53 per kgwas US$ 2.86

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$ 4.25 bn
2023
India among exporters
#1
of 122 countries
India’s share of world exports
16.1%
US$ 489 mn
Left for others to win
US$ 2.55 bn
exported by other countries

Top exporters — your competitors

  1. 1IndiaUS$ 489 mn 16.1%
  2. 2NigeriaUS$ 459 mn 15.1%
  3. 3PakistanUS$ 414 mn 13.6%
  4. 4EthiopiaUS$ 233 mn 7.7%
  5. 5United Rep. of TanzaniaUS$ 226 mn 7.4%
  6. 6BrazilUS$ 220 mn 7.2%
  7. 7MozambiqueUS$ 150 mn 4.9%
  8. 8TürkiyeUS$ 124 mn 4.1%
  9. 9MyanmarUS$ 121 mn 4%
  10. 10ChinaUS$ 101 mn 3.3%

Biggest buyers in the world

  1. 1ChinaUS$ 1.53 bn 35.9%
  2. 2TürkiyeUS$ 486 mn 11.4%
  3. 3JapanUS$ 322 mn 7.6%
  4. 4IndiaUS$ 205 mn 4.8%
  5. 5Rep. of KoreaUS$ 162 mn 3.8%
  6. 6IsraelUS$ 120 mn 2.8%
  7. 7IranUS$ 118 mn 2.8%
  8. 8Saudi ArabiaUS$ 116 mn 2.7%
  9. 9EgyptUS$ 95 mn 2.2%
  10. 10USAUS$ 89 mn 2.1%

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.

ChinaUS$ 1.87 bnIndia 0.1% · gap US$ 1.86 bn
JapanUS$ 369 mnIndia 0% · gap US$ 369 mn
South KoreaUS$ 176 mnIndia 23.1% · gap US$ 135 mn
IranUS$ 118 mnIndia 2.3% · gap US$ 115 mn
GermanyUS$ 102 mnIndia 10.1% · gap US$ 91.7 mn
EgyptUS$ 98.8 mnIndia 7.7% · gap US$ 91.2 mn
Saudi ArabiaUS$ 103 mnIndia 19.6% · gap US$ 82.5 mn
VietnamUS$ 77.5 mnIndia 22% · gap US$ 60.5 mn
NetherlandsUS$ 61.2 mnIndia 13.8% · gap US$ 52.7 mn
United States of AmericaUS$ 89.1 mnIndia 54.4% · gap US$ 40.6 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 sesame seed (til)

India is one of the world’s top sesame exporters and is especially strong in hulled white sesame, cleaned and processed in Gujarat. Sudan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Myanmar supply cheaper natural seed, mainly to China. India’s buyers include China, South Korea, Vietnam, the EU, the USA and the Middle East, where sesame goes into tahini, halva, bakery and oil. After the EU found ethylene oxide in Indian sesame in 2020, it tightened checks, and buyers now demand strict testing. The openings are clean, sterilised hulled sesame for bakery and tahini, and organic and black sesame.

  1. 01Register with IOPEPC

    Take the RCMC from IOPEPC and read its procedures for the EU, USA and China.

  2. 02Agree grade and tests

    Fix purity, colour, FFA, moisture, Salmonella, aflatoxin and residue limits, and whether the seed must be sterilised.

  3. 03Process in a clean plant

    Clean, hull and sort in a plant with good hygiene; steam-sterilise if the buyer needs it.

  4. 04Test every lot

    Test Salmonella, aflatoxin, ethylene oxide and residues before you book the container.

  5. 05Get IOPEPC and plant certificates

    For the EU, get IOPEPC’s certificate of export and health certificate; get the phytosanitary certificate for every market that asks.

  6. 06Ship

    Stuff clean containers, file the shipping bill and send the documents.

  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 sesame seed (til)

What does 99.95% hulled mean?
Seed with the husk removed, in which at least 99.95% by weight is clean sesame.
Why did the EU tighten checks on Indian sesame?
Ethylene oxide was found in Indian sesame in 2020 (Regulation (EU) 2020/1540). Never use it, and test lots before shipping.
How do I avoid Salmonella?
Keep drying yards and plants clean and free of birds and animals, and steam-sterilise if the buyer allows.
Who buys black sesame?
Mainly Japan, South Korea, China and Southeast Asia, for confectionery and health foods.
Is sesame an APEDA product?
Sesame exporters register with IOPEPC (the oilseeds export council), which also issues the EU certificates.
Sources (5)
  1. IOPEPC — RCMC and export procedures for sesame (EU, USA, China)
  2. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1540 (ethylene oxide in sesame from India)
  3. EU — Regulation (EU) 2023/915 on maximum levels for contaminants in food
  4. APEDA — International Pesticide MRL Database
  5. NABL — National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (laboratory search)

Who buys Indian sesame seed (til)

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