Pepper
Pepper is the dried fruit of Piper nigrum, a perennial climbing vine of the wet tropics. Black pepper is the whole berry picked while still green and dried until the skin shrivels and blackens. White pepper is the same berry left to ripen, then soaked so the outer skin can be removed, leaving the pale inner corn. Green pepper is the unripe berry preserved before it can darken. It is the largest spice by traded volume and is used whole, cracked and ground across every cuisine, in meat curing and processed food manufacture, and is extracted for oleoresin and for piperine used in flavour and supplement formulation.
Listed pepper markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Pepper is graded on bulk density, on the proportion of light and defective berries, on cleanliness against the ASTA specification, and on the analytical requirements of ISO 959.
Bulk density and berry condition
8 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Bulk densityGrams per litre | The primary grading measure. Contracts are written to a stated minimum in grams per litre, commonly stepped in intervals of 20 to 50 across the trade ladder. |
| GarbledCleaned and sorted | Passed over destoners, gravity tables and colour sorters to remove stalk, pinheads and light berries. |
| UngarbledField dried, unsorted | Sold as dried at origin, with the defect percentages stated rather than removed. |
| Light berriesPercentage by mass | Berries that float or are carried off on the gravity table. Contracted to a maximum. |
| PinheadsPercentage by mass | Undersized immature berries, separated on the sieve. |
| Black berries in white pepperPercentage by mass | Corns on which skin remains after decortication. Contracted to a maximum. |
| Whole berry countBerries per stated mass | Used where a buyer specifies visual uniformity for a whole pepper pack. |
| Extraneous matterPercentage by mass | Stalk, spent berries and non pepper plant material, determined per ISO 927. |
SNI 0005-2013 farmgate grading
3 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Mutu IGrade I farmgate lot | The higher of the two SNI tiers on moisture, foreign matter and light-berry content. The published numeric thresholds sit in the BSN document itself and are must-verify against the current SNI 0005-2013 text before a contract is written to them. |
| Mutu IIGrade II farmgate lot | The lower of the two SNI tiers, on the same three measures. Same must-verify note on the exact thresholds. |
| GL bulk density tierGrams per litre, trade shorthand such as GL1 or GL 500 to 520 | The trade's own bulk-density naming convention, used at farmgate on top of the SNI moisture and defect spec, ahead of the ASTA clean that export lots then carry. |
Analytical requirements
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| MoistureMaximum percentage by mass | Determined by ISO 939. The critical arrival term, because pepper is shipped from wet tropics into dry and cold destinations. |
| Total ashMaximum percentage by mass | Determined by ISO 928. |
| Acid insoluble ashMaximum percentage by mass | Determined by ISO 930. Effectively sand and soil from drying on open ground. |
| Volatile oilMillilitres per 100 grams | Determined by ISO 6571. The measure of aroma strength. |
| PiperinePercentage by mass | Determined by chromatography. The measure of pungency and the basis on which extraction buyers pay. |
| Non volatile ether extractPercentage by mass | The oleoresin fraction. |
| Crude fibreMaximum percentage by mass | A check on adulteration of ground pepper with husk or spent material. |
| Bulk starch and particle sizePercentage retained on a stated sieve aperture | Applied to ground pepper, with the mesh aperture named on the contract. |
| Piperine to volatile oil ratioDeclared | Read together, the two figures expose whether a lot has been spent or blended. |
ASTA cleanliness specifications
7 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Whole insects, deadCount per stated sample mass | Counted after sieving and inspection. |
| Excreta, mammalianMilligrams per stated sample mass | Determined by flotation and microscopy. |
| Excreta, otherMilligrams per stated sample mass | Determined by flotation and microscopy. |
| MouldPercentage by mass | Visibly mouldy pieces, weighed after separation. |
| Insect defiled or infestedPercentage by mass | Pieces showing insect damage, weighed after separation. |
| Extraneous foreign matterPercentage by mass | Stones, dirt, wire, string and any plant material other than the named spice. |
| TreatmentDeclared | Steam sterilised, ethylene oxide treated, irradiated or untreated. Declared on the contract, because destination markets differ on what they permit. |
Form and treatment
8 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Whole blackDried unripe berry | The standard traded form. |
| Whole whiteDecorticated ripe berry | Produced by water retting or mechanical decortication. The method is declared, as retted pepper carries a distinct aroma. |
| Cracked or groundMilled to a stated mesh | Mesh aperture named on the contract, with the sieve analysis reported. |
| Green pepperBrined, dehydrated or freeze dried | Unripe berry preserved before darkening. The preservation route is declared. |
| Steam sterilisedProcess parameters declared | Temperature, pressure and hold time stated, with the pre and post treatment microbiological result. |
| Microbiological limitsColony forming units per gram, and absence of Salmonella in a stated mass | Contracted to destination market limits. |
| Pesticide residuesMilligrams per kilogram | Tested against destination market maximum residue limits. |
| PackingJute, polypropylene or vacuum | Stated with net weight per bag and the palletisation. |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | Southeast Asia | Origin |
| Indonesia | Southeast Asia | Origin |
| Brazil | South America | Origin |
| India | South Asia | Origin and destination |
| Sri Lanka | South Asia | Origin |
| Malaysia | Southeast Asia | Origin and destination |
| China | East Asia | Origin and destination |
| Cambodia | Southeast Asia | Origin |
| Madagascar | Africa | Origin |
| Ecuador | South America | Origin |
| United States | North America | Destination |
| Canada | North America | Destination |
| Mexico | North America | Destination |
| Germany | Europe | Destination |
| Netherlands | Europe | Destination |
| United Kingdom | Europe | Destination |
| France | Europe | Destination |
| Spain | Europe | Destination |
| Italy | Europe | Destination |
| Poland | Europe | Destination |
| Russia | Europe | Destination |
| Turkiye | Middle East | Destination |
| United Arab Emirates | Middle East | Destination |
| Saudi Arabia | Middle East | Destination |
| Egypt | Africa | Destination |
| South Africa | Africa | Destination |
| Japan | East Asia | Destination |
| South Korea | East Asia | Destination |
| Thailand | Southeast Asia | Destination |
| Australia | Oceania | Destination |
Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.
Timing
Harvest is when the crop is taken at origin. Arrival is when a shipment from that origin typically lands in a consuming market. The gap between them is processing, grading and the voyage.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Feb to May, arrival May to SepDak Lak, Dak Nong, Gia Lai and Binh Phuoc harvest from February to April, with the bulk of shipment through the following months out of Ho Chi Minh City. | ||||
| Indonesia | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jul to Oct, arrival Oct to JanLampung black and Bangka Muntok white harvest from July to October. | |||||
| Brazil | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Aug to Nov, arrival Nov to FebEspirito Santo and Para harvest from August to November. | |||||
| India | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest Dec to Mar, arrival Feb to JunKerala and Karnataka harvest from December to March. Tellicherry and Malabar grades ship out of Kochi. | |||||
| Sri Lanka | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest Jun to Feb, arrival Feb to OctTwo harvests, the main from June to August and a second from December to February. | ||
| Cambodia | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Feb to May, arrival May to AugKampot and Tbong Khmum harvest from February to May. | |||||
| Malaysia | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest May to Aug, arrival Aug to NovSarawak harvests from May to August, producing both black and decorticated white. | |||||
| Madagascar | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jun to Sep, arrival Sep to DecHarvest from June to September, with shipment out of Toamasina. | |||||
| China | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Apr to Jul, arrival Jul to OctHainan harvests from April to July, largely for the domestic market. | |||||
| Ecuador | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jun to Sep, arrival Sep to DecCoastal provinces harvest from June to September. |
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 pepper. 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 heading0904.11 Pepper of the genus Piper, neither crushed nor ground
0904.12 Pepper of the genus Piper, crushed or ground - PackingJute or PP woven bags of 25 kg to 50 kg for whole spice, multiwall paper sacks for ground, and foil-lined or vacuum cartons for volatile and high value grades. Food grade liner, fumigation or steam sterilisation certificate where the destination requires it.
- Container loading20ft: 12 t to 18 t depending on bulk density. 40ft is normally volume limited before it reaches its weight limit. Ground and low density spice ships light and prices on cubic, not tonnage.
- Contract and arbitrationASTA cleanliness specifications for United States trade on Association of Food Industries contracts with AFI arbitration in New York. European trade on European Spice Association quality minima and the terms of the importing association, arbitration under ICC rules or the seat named in the contract.
- Destination limitsEU: aflatoxin B1 and total limits under Regulation 2023/915, ochratoxin A limits, pesticide MRLs under Regulation 396/2005, and Salmonella absence in 25 g. Ethylene oxide is not authorised in the EU and remains the most common rejection cause on spice. US: FDA FSMA preventive controls and ASTA cleanliness, with standing import alerts for Salmonella on several origins.
Common questions
What grades of pepper does SIP Global trade?
We quote 35 published grades of pepper, including Bulk density - Grams per litre, Garbled - Cleaned and sorted, Ungarbled - Field dried, unsorted, Light berries - Percentage by mass, Pinheads - Percentage by mass and Black berries in white pepper - Percentage by mass. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is pepper graded?
Pepper is graded on bulk density, on the proportion of light and defective berries, on cleanliness against the ASTA specification, and on the analytical requirements of ISO 959. Grading runs on 5 systems: Bulk density and berry condition, SNI 0005-2013 farmgate grading, Analytical requirements, ASTA cleanliness specifications and Form and treatment.
Where does SIP Global trade pepper?
We trade pepper in Vietnam, Indonesia, Brazil, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, China and Cambodia and 22 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is pepper harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Vietnam: harvest feb to may, arrival may to sep; Indonesia: harvest jul to oct, arrival oct to jan; Brazil: harvest aug to nov, arrival nov to feb; India: harvest dec to mar, arrival feb to jun; Sri Lanka: harvest jun to feb, arrival feb to oct. 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 pepper?
Pepper is normally classified under HS 0904.11 (pepper of the genus piper, neither crushed nor ground) and HS 0904.12 (pepper of the genus piper, crushed or ground). 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 pepper?
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. 6 listed pepper 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.
- ISOInternational Organization for Standardization
- ASTAAmerican Spice Trade Association cleanliness specifications
- 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.