Ginseng
Ginseng is the root of slow growing perennials of the genus Panax, principally Asian ginseng, Panax ginseng, cultivated in Korea and northeastern China, and American ginseng, Panax quinquefolius, cultivated in Ontario and Wisconsin and also collected from the wild in the Appalachians. The root takes four to six years in the ground before it is lifted, which is why the crop trades on age as well as on weight. It is sold as whole dried root for traditional preparation and gifting, as sliced and powdered root, and as standardised extract for capsules, tonics, beverages and functional foods. Steaming turns white ginseng into red ginseng, a different article with its own chemistry and its own price.
Listed ginseng markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Ginseng is contracted on species, processing route, root age and ginsenoside assay together. Whole root also trades on physical form, because the shape and integrity of the root drive the gift and traditional trade independently of any laboratory number.
Botanical identity as the contracted article
6 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Panax ginseng C.A. MeyerAsian, Korean or Chinese ginseng | The Korean and northeastern Chinese article. The binomial is the contract. |
| Panax quinquefolius L.American ginseng | Cultivated in Ontario and Wisconsin and wild collected in the Appalachians. A distinct ginsenoside profile and a distinct market. |
| Panax notoginsengNotoginseng, or sanqi | A separate species with a separate use, contracted apart from either of the above. |
| Wild, wild simulated or cultivatedDeclared | Three distinct articles. Wild and wild simulated American ginseng carries a large premium and a full permit file. |
| Root ageYears, declared | Four, five or six years in the ground. Six year root is the premium Korean article and age is verifiable from the rhizome neck scars. |
| Identity testingCertificate of analysis, with the method | High performance liquid chromatography against the pharmacopoeia monograph, with DNA barcoding where species substitution is a contract risk. |
Physical form and processing route
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| White ginsengDeclared | Peeled or unpeeled root, air or sun dried without steaming. |
| Red ginsengDeclared, with the steaming schedule | Root steamed and then dried. Steaming converts the ginsenoside profile and darkens the root. A different article, not a finish. |
| Black ginsengDeclared, with the number of cycles | Repeatedly steamed and dried, with the cycle count stated. |
| Fresh rootDeclared, with the temperature term | Unprocessed lifted root, moved cold and on a short shelf life. |
| Root grade by formDeclared, against the origin grading scheme | Whole main root with the lateral roots and rhizome intact ranks above split, broken or misshapen root. Graded by hand inspection against a retained reference sample. |
| Piece count per unit weightCount per kilogram, or per catty | How many roots make the weight. Fewer and larger is the premium and this is the physical grading number in the trade. |
| Root partsDeclared | Main body, lateral roots, rootlets or rhizome. The parts are separated and priced separately. |
| Slices, powder or extractDeclared, with the cut or the mesh | Processed presentations, with the extraction ratio and solvent stated for extract. |
| Moisture and hardnessPercentage by mass, and declared | The dried root is contracted hard and dry, because soft root carries mould risk. |
Ginsenoside assay
8 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Total ginsenosidesPercentage by mass, minimum | The headline assay, with the marker set named because different pharmacopoeias count different compounds. |
| Ginsenoside Rg1Percentage by mass | A named marker of the European Pharmacopoeia assay for Panax ginseng. |
| Ginsenoside Rb1Percentage by mass | The second named marker of the pharmacopoeia assay, and the dominant ginsenoside in American ginseng. |
| Ginsenoside Rg1 to Rb1 ratioDeclared | A species discrimination marker, because the two species sit at opposite ends of it. |
| Ginsenoside Rg3 and Rg5Percentage by mass | Formed during steaming. The markers that distinguish red ginseng from white. |
| Ginsenoside RfDeclared, present or absent | Present in Panax ginseng and absent in Panax quinquefolius. The classical authenticity test. |
| Extraction ratioDeclared, as native drug to extract | Stated alongside the assay for extract material, because neither number alone defines the article. |
| Chromatographic fingerprintReference chromatogram | Retained with the lot and compared against a reference. |
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
9 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. |
| CITES documentationDeclared, with the permit number | American ginseng is listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, and international shipments move on a permit. |
| State or provincial harvest certificationDeclared, with the certificate reference | Wild collected American ginseng carries harvest season and origin certification from the collecting jurisdiction. |
| Crop year and lifting dateDeclared | Recorded with the root age, because the two together are the article. |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| South Korea | Geumsan, Punggi, Gangwon and Chungcheong | Origin and destination |
| China | Jilin, Liaoning and Heilongjiang | Origin and destination |
| Canada | Southwestern Ontario and British Columbia | Origin and destination |
| United States | Wisconsin, and the Appalachian states for wild root | Origin and destination |
| Japan | Nagano and Fukushima, and Tokyo and Osaka as destinations | Origin and destination |
| North Korea | Kaesong | Origin |
| Russia | Primorsky Krai | Origin and destination |
| Vietnam | Kon Tum, and Ho Chi Minh City as a destination | Origin and destination |
| Hong Kong | The Sheung Wan dried goods trade | Destination |
| Taiwan | Taipei and Kaohsiung | Destination |
| Singapore | The traditional medicine trade | Destination |
| Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur and Penang | Destination |
| Thailand | Bangkok | Destination |
| Indonesia | Jakarta | Destination |
| Australia | Sydney and Melbourne | Destination |
| United Kingdom | London and the supplement cluster | Destination |
| Germany | Hamburg and the Rhine-Ruhr extract cluster | Destination |
| France | Paris and Lyon | Destination |
| Netherlands | Rotterdam and the ingredient cluster | Destination |
| Italy | Milan and the nutraceutical cluster | Destination |
| Spain | Barcelona | Destination |
| Switzerland | Basel and the ingredient cluster | Destination |
| United Arab Emirates | Dubai | Destination |
| Brazil | Sao Paulo | Destination |
| Mexico | Mexico City | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Sep to Nov, arrival Nov to FebRoot is lifted in the autumn after four to six years in the ground. Steaming, drying, grading and packing follow, and the heaviest domestic demand sits around the autumn and new year gift seasons. | ||||||
| China | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Sep to Nov, arrival Nov to FebAutumn lifting in the northeastern provinces on the same multi-year cycle. | ||||||
| Canada | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Sep to Nov, arrival Oct to JanOntario root is lifted in the autumn after three to four years and moves largely into the Asian trade. | |||||||
| United States | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Sep to Nov, arrival Oct to JanWisconsin cultivated root is lifted in the autumn. The Appalachian wild season is set by state regulation and runs in the early autumn. | |||||||
| Japan | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Oct to Nov, arrival Nov to JanA small autumn crop, largely consumed domestically. |
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 ginseng. 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 heading1211.20 Ginseng roots
- 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 ginseng does SIP Global trade?
We quote 41 published grades of ginseng, including Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer - Asian, Korean or Chinese ginseng, Panax quinquefolius L. - American ginseng, Panax notoginseng - Notoginseng, or sanqi, Wild, wild simulated or cultivated - Declared, Root age - Years, declared and Identity testing - Certificate of analysis, with the method. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is ginseng graded?
Ginseng is contracted on species, processing route, root age and ginsenoside assay together. Whole root also trades on physical form, because the shape and integrity of the root drive the gift and traditional trade independently of any laboratory number. Grading runs on 5 systems: Botanical identity as the contracted article, Physical form and processing route, Ginsenoside assay, Purity and contaminants and Origin, legality and delivery.
Where does SIP Global trade ginseng?
We trade ginseng in South Korea, China, Canada, United States, Japan, North Korea, Russia and Vietnam and 17 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is ginseng harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are South Korea: harvest sep to nov, arrival nov to feb; China: harvest sep to nov, arrival nov to feb; Canada: harvest sep to nov, arrival oct to jan; United States: harvest sep to nov, arrival oct to jan; Japan: harvest oct to nov, arrival nov to jan. 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 ginseng?
Ginseng is normally classified under HS 1211.20 (ginseng roots). 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 ginseng?
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. 3 listed ginseng 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
- CITESConvention on International Trade in Endangered Species
- 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.