Chamomile
Chamomile is the dried flower head of two unrelated daisy family plants traded under one common name: German chamomile, Matricaria chamomilla, which is the volume article and the source of the blue essential oil, and Roman chamomile, Chamaemelum nobile, a lower volume perennial with a distinct oil profile. The dried flower goes into herbal tea in very large quantity, into pharmaceutical preparations, and into extraction for the essential oil and for liquid and dry extracts. The oil and the extracts are used in skin care, oral care, aromatherapy and pharmaceutical topicals, valued for chamazulene and bisabolol. Flower heads are harvested mechanically from field crops and dried immediately.
Listed chamomile markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Chamomile is contracted on the species, the flower head content and the volatile oil assay together. The percentage of true flower head against stem and broken material is the single most contested term in the trade, and it is measured, not asserted.
Botanical identity as the contracted article
5 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Matricaria chamomilla L.German chamomile, the volume article | Also catalogued as Matricaria recutita. The annual crop behind the tea trade and the blue oil. |
| Chamaemelum nobile (L.) All.Roman chamomile | A perennial with a different oil chemistry, traded in much smaller volume and priced apart. |
| Plant partDeclared | Whole flower head, flower head with a stated stem length allowance, or cut and sifted material. The article is the flower head. |
| ChemotypeDeclared where the buyer contracts on it | German chamomile lines differ in bisabolol oxide profile and the pharmaceutical trade contracts on it. |
| Identity testingCertificate of analysis, with the method | Macroscopic and microscopic examination plus thin layer chromatography against the pharmacopoeia monograph. |
Physical form and processing route
8 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Whole flower headDeclared | Intact heads, the premium tea and pharmacopoeia article. |
| Flower head contentPercentage by mass, minimum | The proportion of the lot that is true flower head rather than stem, leaf and broken fragments. Determined by hand separation of a drawn sample and weighed. This is the grading number in the chamomile trade. |
| Stem and stalk contentPercentage by mass, maximum | Measured on the same separated sample. |
| Cut and siftedDeclared, with the cut size | Material cut to a stated screen for tea bag filling. |
| Tea bag cutDeclared, with the sieve range | A fines-controlled cut specified so the material does not pass the bag paper. |
| Dust and finesPercentage by mass, maximum | What falls through the finest screen. |
| ColourDeclared, against a retained reference sample | Bright yellow disc and white ray florets. Browning indicates heat during drying or age in store. |
| Drying routeDeclared | Hot air, belt or solar dried, with the temperature, because the volatile oil does not survive an aggressive dry. |
Volatile oil and marker composition
8 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Volatile oil contentMillilitres per hundred grams, minimum | Determined by hydrodistillation on the dried flower. The primary assay for pharmacopoeia grade material. |
| ChamazulenePercentage of the oil | The compound that gives the distilled oil its blue colour, formed during distillation from matricin. |
| Alpha-bisabololPercentage of the oil | The principal active marker of German chamomile oil. |
| Bisabolol oxides A and BPercentage of the oil | Reported alongside bisabolol, because the ratio between them defines the chemotype. |
| Apigenin and apigenin-7-glucosidePercentage by mass | The flavonoid markers, contracted for extract and tea material. |
| Total flavonoidsPercentage by mass, as apigenin-7-glucoside | Reported against the pharmacopoeia method. |
| Essential oil profileReference chromatogram | The full capillary gas chromatographic trace, retained with the lot. |
| Water-soluble extractivePercentage by mass | The tea trade measure of what actually infuses. |
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. |
| Harvest mechanisationDeclared | Machine stripped or hand picked. It drives the flower head content before any cleaning is done. |
| Drying and storage temperatureDeclared | The volatile fraction is the value and heat removes it, so the drying and storage terms sit 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Egypt | Beni Suef, Fayoum and Minya | Origin |
| Croatia | Slavonia | Origin and destination |
| Hungary | The Great Plain | Origin and destination |
| Poland | Lublin and the eastern voivodeships | Origin and destination |
| Serbia | Vojvodina | Origin |
| Bulgaria | The Thracian plain | Origin |
| Slovakia | The Danubian lowland | Origin |
| Germany | Bavaria, Saxony-Anhalt and the Rhine-Ruhr trading cluster | Origin and destination |
| Argentina | Buenos Aires and Entre Rios | Origin |
| Chile | The central valley | Origin |
| Turkey | The Aegean and Mediterranean provinces | Origin and destination |
| Morocco | Souss-Massa and the Atlantic plains | Origin |
| India | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Jammu | Origin and destination |
| China | Xinjiang, Anhui and Hebei | Origin and destination |
| Nepal | The Terai and the mid hills | Origin |
| Ukraine | Kherson and the southern oblasts | Origin |
| Spain | Andalusia and Castile-La Mancha | Origin and destination |
| France | Anjou, Provence and the herbal cluster | Origin and destination |
| United Kingdom | Felixstowe and the tea packing cluster | Destination |
| Netherlands | Rotterdam and the botanical trading cluster | Destination |
| United States | New Jersey, Pennsylvania and California | Destination |
| Canada | Ontario and Quebec | Destination |
| Japan | Tokyo and Osaka | Destination |
| South Korea | Seoul and Busan | Destination |
| Brazil | Sao Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul | Destination |
| Australia | Sydney and Melbourne | Destination |
| Italy | Milan and the herbal tea cluster | Destination |
| Russia | Moscow and St Petersburg | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Mar to May, arrival May to AugNile valley fields are cut in the spring across several passes as the heads open. Drying, cleaning and grading follow before shipment out of Alexandria and Damietta. | ||||||
| Croatia | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest May to Jul, arrival Jul to OctSlavonian fields are harvested in early summer, with material moving into the German and Dutch trade. | ||||||
| Hungary | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest May to Jul, arrival Jul to OctGreat Plain harvest in early summer, including semi-wild stands. | ||||||
| Poland | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jun to Aug, arrival Aug to NovA later northern European cut, feeding the domestic and German tea trade. | ||||||
| Argentina | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest Nov to Jan, arrival Jan to AprSouthern hemisphere harvest, which puts Argentine material opposite the European crop and makes it the counter-seasonal supply. | ||||||
| Turkey | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Apr to Jun, arrival Jun to SepAegean and Mediterranean harvest, including wild collected material. | ||||||
| India | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Feb to Apr, arrival Apr to JulLate winter and spring cutting in the northern plains, feeding both flower and oil trade. | ||||||
| China | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest May to Jul, arrival Jul to OctSummer harvest in Xinjiang and the northern provinces. |
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 chamomile. 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 heading1211.90 Plants and parts of plants used primarily in pharmacy, including chamomile flower
- 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 chamomile does SIP Global trade?
We quote 38 published grades of chamomile, including Matricaria chamomilla L. - German chamomile, the volume article, Chamaemelum nobile (L.) All. - Roman chamomile, Plant part - Declared, Chemotype - Declared where the buyer contracts on it, Identity testing - Certificate of analysis, with the method and Whole flower head - Declared. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is chamomile graded?
Chamomile is contracted on the species, the flower head content and the volatile oil assay together. The percentage of true flower head against stem and broken material is the single most contested term in the trade, and it is measured, not asserted. Grading runs on 5 systems: Botanical identity as the contracted article, Physical form and processing route, Volatile oil and marker composition, Purity and contaminants and Origin, legality and delivery.
Where does SIP Global trade chamomile?
We trade chamomile in Egypt, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Serbia, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Germany and 20 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is chamomile harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Egypt: harvest mar to may, arrival may to aug; Croatia: harvest may to jul, arrival jul to oct; Hungary: harvest may to jul, arrival jul to oct; Poland: harvest jun to aug, arrival aug to nov; Argentina: harvest nov to jan, arrival jan to apr. 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 chamomile?
Chamomile is normally classified under HS 1211.90 (plants and parts of plants used primarily in pharmacy, including chamomile flower). 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 chamomile?
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. 1 listed chamomile market is 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
- 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.