Clove
Cloves are the dried unopened flower buds of Syzygium aromaticum, an evergreen tree of the myrtle family native to the Maluku islands and now grown across the equatorial tropics. The bud is picked before it opens, dried until it hardens and darkens, and carries one of the highest volatile oil loadings of any spice. Cloves are used whole and ground in baking, curry, pickling, meat curing and mulled drinks, are distilled for bud, stem and leaf oil used in flavour, fragrance and dental preparations, and are consumed in very large volume in clove blended cigarettes in Indonesia.
Listed clove markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Cloves are graded on the proportion of whole headed buds against headless buds and stems, on volatile oil content, and on cleanliness against the ASTA specification.
Bud condition and composition
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Headless clovesMaximum percentage by mass | Buds whose head has broken away in drying or handling. The primary defect and the primary grading measure. |
| Clove stemsMaximum percentage by mass | The peduncle, separated and weighed. Traded separately in its own right for distillation. |
| Khoker and blown budsMaximum percentage by mass | Buds that opened before picking, weighed after separation. |
| Mother of clovesMaximum percentage by mass | The mature fruit rather than the bud, weighed after separation. |
| Extraneous matterMaximum percentage by mass | Determined per ISO 927. |
| Bud lengthMillimetres | Used where a buyer specifies visual uniformity for a whole clove retail pack. |
| Bulk densityGrams per litre | A weighed volume poured into a standard measure. |
| Buoyancy in waterSink or float | A traditional oil content check. Fully oil loaded buds sink or float upright. |
| Whole or groundDeclared, with mesh aperture where ground | Ground cloves are contracted to a stated sieve aperture with the analysis reported. |
Analytical requirements
11 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Volatile oilMinimum millilitres per 100 grams | Determined by ISO 6571. Cloves carry the highest oil loading in the spice trade and this is the figure buyers pay on. |
| EugenolPercentage of the volatile oil | Determined by gas chromatography. The dominant aroma and functional compound. |
| Eugenyl acetatePercentage of the volatile oil | Determined by gas chromatography. |
| Beta caryophyllenePercentage of the volatile oil | Determined by gas chromatography. Together with eugenol it fingerprints origin and whether the lot has been spent. |
| MoistureMaximum percentage by mass | Determined by ISO 939. |
| Total ashMaximum percentage by mass | Determined by ISO 928. |
| Acid insoluble ashMaximum percentage by mass | Determined by ISO 930. |
| Crude fibreMaximum percentage by mass | A check on adulteration of ground clove with stem or spent bud. |
| Spent clove detectionVolatile oil read against bulk density | Buds already distilled retain their shape but lose oil and weight. The two figures read together expose them. |
| Pesticide residuesMilligrams per kilogram | Tested against destination market maximum residue limits. |
| Microbiological limitsColony forming units per gram, and absence of Salmonella in a stated mass | Contracted to destination market limits. |
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. |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | Southeast Asia | Origin |
| Madagascar | Africa | Origin |
| Tanzania | Africa | Origin |
| Comoros | Africa | Origin |
| Sri Lanka | South Asia | Origin |
| India | South Asia | Origin and destination |
| Grenada | Caribbean | Origin |
| Brazil | South America | Origin |
| Malaysia | Southeast Asia | Origin and destination |
| Papua New Guinea | Oceania | Origin |
| Vietnam | Southeast Asia | Origin and destination |
| Singapore | Southeast Asia | Origin and destination |
| China | East Asia | Destination |
| Japan | East Asia | Destination |
| South Korea | East Asia | Destination |
| Pakistan | South Asia | Destination |
| Bangladesh | South Asia | Destination |
| United Arab Emirates | Middle East | Origin and destination |
| Saudi Arabia | Middle East | Destination |
| Turkiye | Middle East | Destination |
| Egypt | Africa | Destination |
| Netherlands | Europe | Destination |
| Germany | Europe | Destination |
| United Kingdom | Europe | Destination |
| France | Europe | Destination |
| Italy | Europe | Destination |
| Spain | Europe | Destination |
| United States | North America | Destination |
| Canada | North America | Destination |
| Mexico | North America | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jun to Dec, arrival Sep to FebSulawesi, Maluku, Java and Sumatra harvest from mid year into December, with most of the crop absorbed domestically. | |||
| Madagascar | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest Oct to Jan, arrival Jan to AprAnalanjirofo and the east coast harvest from October to January, shipping out of Toamasina. | |||||
| Tanzania | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jul to Dec, arrival Oct to FebZanzibar and Pemba harvest from July to December. | ||||
| Comoros | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Aug to Nov, arrival Nov to FebHarvest from August to November. | |||||
| Sri Lanka | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest Nov to Feb, arrival Jan to AprWet zone districts harvest from November to February. | ||||||
| India | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest Dec to Mar, arrival Feb to MayKerala, Tamil Nadu and the Andaman Islands harvest from December to March. | ||||||
| Brazil | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest Oct to Jan, arrival Jan to AprBahia harvests from October to January. | |||||
| Papua New Guinea | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jun to Sep, arrival Sep to DecHarvest 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 clove. 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 heading0907.10 Cloves (whole fruit, cloves and stems), neither crushed nor ground
0907.20 Cloves, 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 clove does SIP Global trade?
We quote 27 published grades of clove, including Headless cloves - Maximum percentage by mass, Clove stems - Maximum percentage by mass, Khoker and blown buds - Maximum percentage by mass, Mother of cloves - Maximum percentage by mass, Extraneous matter - Maximum percentage by mass and Bud length - Millimetres. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is clove graded?
Cloves are graded on the proportion of whole headed buds against headless buds and stems, on volatile oil content, and on cleanliness against the ASTA specification. Grading runs on 3 systems: Bud condition and composition, Analytical requirements and ASTA cleanliness specifications.
Where does SIP Global trade clove?
We trade clove in Indonesia, Madagascar, Tanzania, Comoros, Sri Lanka, India, Grenada and Brazil and 23 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is clove harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Indonesia: harvest jun to dec, arrival sep to feb; Madagascar: harvest oct to jan, arrival jan to apr; Tanzania: harvest jul to dec, arrival oct to feb; Comoros: harvest aug to nov, arrival nov to feb; Sri Lanka: harvest nov to feb, 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 clove?
Clove is normally classified under HS 0907.10 (cloves (whole fruit, cloves and stems), neither crushed nor ground) and HS 0907.20 (cloves, 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 clove?
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 clove 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
- 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.