Licorice
Licorice is the root and stolon of leguminous shrubs of the genus Glycyrrhiza, principally Glycyrrhiza glabra across Central Asia, the Middle East and the Mediterranean, and Glycyrrhiza uralensis in northern China and Mongolia. Most commercial material is dug from wild and semi-wild stands rather than planted. The root is sold as cut and sifted material, as powder, and above all as block, spray dried and liquid extract, which is where the volume value sits. It is used as a sweetener and flavour in confectionery, tobacco, beverages and pharmaceutical preparations, and as a base material in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic formulations. Its sweetness comes from glycyrrhizin, which is many times sweeter than sucrose.
Listed licorice markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Licorice is contracted on species, root fraction and glycyrrhizin assay together. The extract trade adds the extraction route and the solids specification, and deglycyrrhizinated material is a wholly separate article with its own ceiling rather than its own floor.
Botanical identity as the contracted article
7 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Glycyrrhiza glabra L.The Western and Central Asian article | Spanish, Turkish, Iranian and Central Asian licorice. The binomial is the contract. |
| Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch.The Chinese article | Northern Chinese and Mongolian licorice, with a distinct marker profile. |
| Glycyrrhiza inflataA further Chinese species | Traded and monographed separately. |
| Plant partDeclared | Root, stolon, or a stated blend. Stolon is cheaper and its proportion is a contract term. |
| Peeled or unpeeledDeclared | Peeled root is the pharmacopoeia article in several monographs and it is priced above unpeeled. |
| Wild collected or cultivatedDeclared | Most supply is dug from wild stands, and the collection area and permit file follow from that. |
| Identity testingCertificate of analysis, with the method | Thin layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography against the pharmacopoeia monograph. |
Physical form and processing route
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Whole dried rootDeclared | Cleaned, dried root sticks, the traditional article. |
| Cut and siftedDeclared, with the cut size | Root cut to a stated screen for tea and for extraction feedstock. |
| PowderDeclared, with the mesh | Milled root at a stated sieve specification. |
| Block extractDeclared, with the solids content | Evaporated aqueous extract in solid block form, the traditional confectionery and tobacco article. |
| Spray dried extract powderDeclared, with the assay and any carrier | Powdered extract, with the carrier named and quantified. |
| Liquid extractDeclared, with the solids content and the solvent | Aqueous or hydroalcoholic, with the concentration stated. |
| Deglycyrrhizinated extractDeclared, with the glycyrrhizin ceiling | Extract from which glycyrrhizin has been removed. A separate article, specified with a maximum rather than a minimum. |
| Extraction ratioDeclared, as native drug to extract | Stated alongside the assay. |
| Colour and odourDeclared, against a retained reference sample | Yellow interior in the root, characteristic sweet odour. A grey interior indicates age or poor storage. |
Glycyrrhizin and marker composition
8 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Glycyrrhizin, or glycyrrhizic acidPercentage by mass, minimum | The headline assay for root and standard extract, measured against the pharmacopoeia method. |
| Glycyrrhizin ceilingPercentage by mass, maximum | Contracted where the destination or the product category caps intake, and the defining term for deglycyrrhizinated material. |
| GlabridinPercentage by mass | A flavonoid marker of Glycyrrhiza glabra, and the value driver in the cosmetic trade. |
| Liquiritin and liquiritigeninPercentage by mass | Flavonoid markers reported on the certificate of analysis. |
| Total flavonoidsPercentage by mass | Reported where the buyer contracts on the flavonoid fraction rather than on sweetness. |
| Solids contentPercentage by mass, or degrees Brix | The specification term for liquid and block extract. |
| Ammoniated or acid precipitatedDeclared | The processing route for extract, named because it changes solubility and flavour. |
| Chromatographic fingerprintReference chromatogram | Retained with the lot and used for species discrimination. |
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. |
| Collection permitDeclared, with the permit reference | Wild digging runs under national land and forestry authorisation across most origins, and export licensing applies in several of them. |
| Extraction facilityDeclared, with the audit standard | Named on the contract for extract material going into food or pharmaceutical use. |
| Residual solventsParts per million, maximum | Named for hydroalcoholic extract, against the pharmacopoeia general chapter. |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Uzbekistan | Karakalpakstan, Khorezm and the Amu Darya basin | Origin |
| Turkmenistan | The Amu Darya and Lebap | Origin |
| Kazakhstan | Kyzylorda and the Syr Darya basin | Origin |
| Afghanistan | The northern provinces | Origin |
| Iran | Khorasan, Fars and Kermanshah | Origin |
| Turkey | Sanliurfa, Gaziantep and the southeast | Origin and destination |
| China | Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Gansu and Ningxia | Origin and destination |
| Mongolia | The Gobi and the southern aimags | Origin |
| Azerbaijan | The Kura lowland | Origin |
| Pakistan | Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | Origin |
| India | Jammu and the northern plains | Origin and destination |
| Syria | Aleppo and the Euphrates valley | Origin |
| Iraq | Nineveh and the Tigris valley | Origin |
| Spain | Andalusia and the Ebro valley | Origin and destination |
| Italy | Calabria and Abruzzo | Origin and destination |
| Greece | Macedonia and Thrace | Origin and destination |
| France | Le Havre and the confectionery cluster | Destination |
| Germany | Hamburg and the Rhine-Ruhr extract cluster | Destination |
| Netherlands | Rotterdam and the confectionery cluster | Destination |
| Denmark | Copenhagen and the Nordic confectionery trade | Destination |
| Sweden | Gothenburg and the Nordic confectionery trade | Destination |
| Finland | Helsinki and the Nordic confectionery trade | Destination |
| United Kingdom | Felixstowe and the confectionery cluster | Destination |
| United States | New Jersey, Virginia and the flavour cluster | Destination |
| Canada | Ontario and Quebec | Destination |
| Japan | Tokyo and Osaka | Destination |
| South Korea | Seoul and Incheon | Destination |
| Brazil | Sao Paulo | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uzbekistan | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Mar to Nov, arrival May to FebRoot is dug in the autumn and again in the early spring when the ground works. Cleaning, cutting and drying follow, with rail and road transit through Central Asia adding to the lead time. | ||
| Kazakhstan | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Apr to Nov, arrival Jun to FebSyr Darya basin digging on the same autumn and spring pattern. | ||||
| Turkmenistan | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Mar to Nov, arrival May to FebAmu Darya digging, moving through Caspian and Iranian routes. | ||
| China | Arrival | Harvest | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Apr to Nov, arrival May to JanAutumn digging in the northwestern provinces, with export licensing governing volume. | |||||
| Turkey | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Mar to Nov, arrival Apr to JanSoutheastern digging in the autumn and spring, with much of the crop extracted domestically before export. | ||||
| Iran | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Mar to Nov, arrival May to FebAutumn and spring digging, with substantial domestic extract capacity. | ||
| Spain | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Oct to Dec, arrival Nov to FebA smaller Mediterranean crop dug in the late autumn. |
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 licorice. 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 Liquorice roots
1302.12 Extracts of liquorice - 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 licorice does SIP Global trade?
We quote 41 published grades of licorice, including Glycyrrhiza glabra L. - The Western and Central Asian article, Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. - The Chinese article, Glycyrrhiza inflata - A further Chinese species, Plant part - Declared, Peeled or unpeeled - Declared and Wild collected or cultivated - Declared. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is licorice graded?
Licorice is contracted on species, root fraction and glycyrrhizin assay together. The extract trade adds the extraction route and the solids specification, and deglycyrrhizinated material is a wholly separate article with its own ceiling rather than its own floor. Grading runs on 5 systems: Botanical identity as the contracted article, Physical form and processing route, Glycyrrhizin and marker composition, Purity and contaminants and Origin, legality and delivery.
Where does SIP Global trade licorice?
We trade licorice in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, China and Mongolia and 20 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is licorice harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Uzbekistan: harvest mar to nov, arrival may to feb; Kazakhstan: harvest apr to nov, arrival jun to feb; Turkmenistan: harvest mar to nov, arrival may to feb; China: harvest apr to nov, arrival may to jan; Turkey: harvest mar to nov, arrival apr 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 licorice?
Licorice is normally classified under HS 1211.90 (liquorice roots) and HS 1302.12 (extracts of liquorice). 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 licorice?
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 licorice 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.
- 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.