Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is a succulent of the Asphodelaceae family whose thick leaves hold two commercially distinct materials: the clear inner leaf parenchyma, sold as gel, juice, concentrate or spray dried powder, and the bitter yellow latex that sits just under the rind, sold as aloe bitters and as the source of aloin. The inner leaf material goes into drinks, skin care, hair care, sun care, topical gels and dietary supplements, valued for its polysaccharide content and its skin feel. The latex fraction has a separate and much smaller pharmaceutical and industrial use, and destination markets regulate it tightly. The plant is grown as a perennial field crop and cut on a rolling basis rather than a single annual harvest.
Listed aloe vera markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Aloe is contracted on the leaf fraction, the processing route and the polysaccharide assay together. The concentration factor, the decolourisation step and the aloin ceiling are the terms that separate two lots that both call themselves aloe vera powder.
Botanical identity as the contracted article
4 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Aloe barbadensis MillerThe commercial article | The species behind essentially all traded inner leaf material. The contract names the binomial, not the common name. |
| Other Aloe speciesDeclared | Aloe ferox and related species are traded, chiefly for the bitter fraction. They are a different article and they are priced apart. |
| Leaf fractionDeclared | Inner leaf fillet, whole leaf, or the latex fraction. These are three different materials from one plant and the contract must say which. |
| Identity testingCertificate of analysis, with the method | Thin layer chromatography or high performance liquid chromatography against the reference monograph, plus the polysaccharide profile. |
Physical form and processing route
8 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Fresh filletDeclared, chilled or frozen | Hand filleted inner leaf, moved cold. Contracted with a temperature term and a shelf life term. |
| Single strength juiceDeclared | Unconcentrated inner leaf liquid, preserved or aseptically packed. |
| ConcentrateDeclared, with the concentration factor | Stated as a multiple such as ten times, forty times, one hundred times or two hundred times, against single strength. The factor is the price. |
| Spray dried powderDeclared, with the concentration factor and the carrier | Powder produced by spray drying, with maltodextrin or another carrier declared and its percentage stated. |
| Freeze dried powderDeclared, with the concentration factor | Powder produced by lyophilisation, priced above spray dried for polysaccharide retention. |
| Decolourised or non-decolourisedDeclared | Whether the material passed through activated carbon treatment. It governs the aloin level and the colour. |
| Particle sizeMesh, or micrometres | Sieve specification for powders. |
| Solubility and clarityDeclared, at a stated concentration in water | Contracted where the powder goes into a clear beverage. |
Assay and composition
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Total polysaccharide contentMilligrams per litre for liquids, or percentage by mass for powders | Measured against the reference method. The primary value marker for inner leaf material. |
| Acetylated mannan, or acemannanPercentage by mass, or milligrams per litre | The characteristic polysaccharide of aloe, measured where the buyer contracts on it specifically. |
| Molecular weight distributionDeclared, by size exclusion chromatography | Processing heat breaks the polysaccharide chain. The distribution shows whether it survived. |
| Aloin, or barbaloinParts per million, maximum | The bitter anthraquinone from the latex layer. Decolourised material carries a low ceiling and destination regulation sets it. |
| Malic acidPercentage or milligrams per litre | A characteristic organic acid of genuine aloe, used as an authenticity marker. |
| Glucose to mannose ratioDeclared | A dilution and adulteration marker, because added sugars and other gums shift it. |
| Solids contentPercentage by mass, or degrees Brix | What is actually in the liquid. |
| pHDeclared | Contracted for stability and formulation compatibility. |
| Preservative systemDeclared | Which preservative, at what level, or aseptic and preservative free. |
Purity and contaminants
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Loss on drying, or moisturePercentage by mass, maximum | Determined by oven drying or by the entrainment method. It governs mould risk in the bag and it is weight the buyer is not paying botanical prices for. |
| Foreign organic matterPercentage by mass, maximum | Soil, stones, stems where stems are not the article, other plant species and any material other than the named part, separated by hand and weighed. |
| Total ashPercentage by mass, maximum | Mineral residue after incineration. |
| Acid-insoluble ashPercentage by mass, maximum | The sand and silica fraction, and the classical measure of how carefully the material was lifted and washed. |
| Heavy metalsMilligrams per kilogram, maximum | Lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, against CXS 193 and the destination limits. |
| Pesticide residuesMilligrams per kilogram, maximum | Multi-residue screen against the destination market limits. Contracted on every lot destined for the European Union, Japan or a certified organic buyer. |
| MycotoxinsMicrograms per kilogram, maximum | Aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2, total aflatoxins and ochratoxin A. Field dried botanicals carry the risk and the destination sets the ceiling. |
| Microbiological limitsColony forming units per gram, maximum, with the pathogen absence criteria | Total aerobic count, yeasts and moulds, bile-tolerant Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli and Salmonella. |
| Irradiation and sterilisationDeclared | Steam sterilised, ethylene oxide treated, irradiated or untreated. Declared on the contract, because destination markets differ on what they permit. |
Origin, legality and delivery
8 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Wild collected or cultivatedDeclared | It drives availability, the legality file and, in several of these articles, the marker chemistry. |
| Legality and collection permitDeclared, with the permit reference | Export permit, forest or land access agreement, or community collection agreement, travelling with the lot. |
| CertificationCertificate, with the scheme and the certificate number | Organic, FairWild, Fair for Life, Rainforest Alliance or a private buyer standard, named on the contract when it is contracted. |
| Crop year and harvest dateDeclared | Marker compounds decline with age. The crop year is a price term, not a formality. |
| PackingDeclared | Paper sacks, polypropylene bags, cartons, fibre drums or bulk bags, with the liner and the pallet configuration specified. |
| Sampling planDeclared | How many packages are sampled, by whom, and against which retained reference sample. Field dried botanicals are heterogeneous between bags. |
| Certification bodyDeclared, with the certificate number | International Aloe Science Council certification is the recognised scheme in this trade and it is named on the contract when it is contracted. |
| Cold chainDeclared | Required for fresh fillet and for unpreserved liquid, with the temperature range on the contract. |
Grades outside this list trade on request. Send us the contract specification you work to and we will price against it.
Locations
| Country | Region | We trade it as |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico | Tamaulipas, Veracruz and Yucatan | Origin |
| Dominican Republic | Barahona and the southwest | Origin |
| United States | Texas and Florida | Origin and destination |
| India | Rajasthan, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu | Origin and destination |
| China | Hainan, Guangdong and Yunnan | Origin and destination |
| Thailand | Central and northeastern provinces | Origin |
| Costa Rica | Guanacaste | Origin |
| Nicaragua | Leon and Chinandega | Origin |
| Spain | Andalusia and the Canary Islands | Origin and destination |
| South Africa | Eastern Cape and Western Cape | Origin and destination |
| Australia | Queensland | Origin and destination |
| Brazil | Ceara, Rio Grande do Norte and Bahia | Origin and destination |
| Kenya | Baringo and the Rift Valley | Origin |
| Germany | Hamburg and the Rhine-Ruhr processing cluster | Destination |
| Netherlands | Rotterdam and the food ingredient cluster | Destination |
| France | Le Havre, Marseille and the cosmetics cluster | Destination |
| Italy | Genoa and the Lombardy supplement cluster | Destination |
| United Kingdom | Felixstowe and the personal care cluster | Destination |
| Japan | Tokyo, Yokohama and Osaka | Destination |
| South Korea | Busan and Incheon | Destination |
| Canada | Ontario and British Columbia | Destination |
| United Arab Emirates | Dubai and Jebel Ali | Destination |
| Poland | Gdansk and the supplement manufacturing cluster | Destination |
| Turkey | Istanbul and Izmir | Origin and destination |
| Vietnam | Ninh Thuan and the Mekong Delta | Origin and destination |
Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.
Timing
Harvest is when the plant material is lifted or cut at origin. Arrival is when a shipment from that origin typically lands in a consuming market. The gap between them is drying, cleaning, milling or extraction, laboratory clearance and the voyage.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecLeaves are cut on a rolling cycle through the year rather than in a single season, so supply is continuous and the constraint is processing capacity rather than harvest timing. |
| Dominican Republic | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecYear round cutting, with the wet months affecting field access more than yield. |
| India | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecRolling harvest, with the heaviest cutting after the monsoon when leaves are fullest. |
| China | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Mar to Nov, arrival May to JanCutting concentrates in the warm months in Hainan and Guangdong. | |
| Thailand | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecContinuous cutting, with processing scheduled around the rainy season. |
| United States | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Mar to Nov, arrival Mar to NovField cutting in Texas and Florida runs through the warm months and feeds domestic processing directly. |
Windows outside this pattern trade on request, including carry, forward positions and stock already sitting in a destination warehouse.
Customs, packing and contract terms
Indicative terms for aloe vera. Tariff classification is the importer’s responsibility and limits change, so confirm both against the destination customs authority and the current regulation before you fix a contract.
- HS heading1302.19 Vegetable saps and extracts, other, including aloe vera gel and concentrate
1211.90 Dried aloe leaf material - PackingMultiwall paper sacks or PP bags of 20 kg to 25 kg with food grade liner, or fibre drums for powders and extracts. Sieve size, ash and foreign organic matter stated at load.
- Container loading20ft: 8 t to 14 t. Volume limited for whole leaf and root, weight limited for powders and extracts.
- Contract and arbitrationSale on specification with a certificate of analysis, botanical identity confirmed by macroscopic or HPTLC identification. European Herbal Infusions Association quality guidance and the terms of the importing association. Arbitration under ICC rules or at the contract seat.
- Destination limitsEU novel food authorisation under Regulation 2015/2283 for species without a history of consumption before May 1997, the Article 8 list under Regulation 1925/2006, pesticide MRLs under Regulation 396/2005, pyrrolizidine alkaloid limits on herbal infusions and aflatoxin and ochratoxin limits under Regulation 2023/915, and CITES for listed species. US: FDA dietary supplement rules with new dietary ingredient notification.
Common questions
What grades of aloe vera does SIP Global trade?
We quote 38 published grades of aloe vera, including Aloe barbadensis Miller - The commercial article, Other Aloe species - Declared, Leaf fraction - Declared, Identity testing - Certificate of analysis, with the method, Fresh fillet - Declared, chilled or frozen and Single strength juice - Declared. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is aloe vera graded?
Aloe is contracted on the leaf fraction, the processing route and the polysaccharide assay together. The concentration factor, the decolourisation step and the aloin ceiling are the terms that separate two lots that both call themselves aloe vera powder. Grading runs on 5 systems: Botanical identity as the contracted article, Physical form and processing route, Assay and composition, Purity and contaminants and Origin, legality and delivery.
Where does SIP Global trade aloe vera?
We trade aloe vera in Mexico, Dominican Republic, United States, India, China, Thailand, Costa Rica and Nicaragua and 17 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is aloe vera harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Mexico: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec; Dominican Republic: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec; India: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec; China: harvest mar to nov, arrival may to jan; Thailand: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec. Harvest is when the lot is taken at origin, arrival is when a shipment from that origin lands in a consuming market. Windows outside this pattern, including carry, trade on request.
What is the HS code for aloe vera?
Aloe vera is normally classified under HS 1302.19 (vegetable saps and extracts, other, including aloe vera gel and concentrate) and HS 1211.90 (dried aloe leaf material). The heading follows the form the goods are in at the border, and national tariffs extend it beyond six digits, so confirm the full line with the destination customs authority before you fix a contract.
How do I get a price for aloe vera?
Send the grade, the origin and the delivery window to the SIP Global desk. That is enough for a trader to come back with a level and a settlement route. 2 listed aloe vera markets are published on this page, each with its full specification and terms. We take both sides, physical and financial, prompt to long dated.
Standards and data sources
The grading language on this sheet follows published standards. Trade volumes and tariff lines are public record. Verify anything here against the source.
- Codex AlimentariusFAO and WHO food standards
- UN ComtradeOfficial international trade statistics by HS code
- ITC Trade MapBilateral trade flows and tariff data
- FAOSTATFAO production and trade series for agricultural commodities
Price this with our desk
Grade, origin and window if you have them. If what you are carrying does not fit the sheet above, describe it in your own words and a trader will take it from there.