Vanilla
Vanilla is the cured seed pod of orchids of the genus Vanilla, principally Vanilla planifolia and Vanilla tahitensis. The flower opens for a single day and is hand pollinated on almost every commercial plantation, and the green pod that follows takes months on the vine and then weeks of killing, sweating, drying and conditioning before it develops any aroma at all. Cured beans are used whole and split in baking, dairy, confectionery, ice cream and beverage manufacture, and are extracted into vanilla extract, absolute and oleoresin used across the food, perfume and cosmetic trades.
Listed vanilla markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Vanilla is graded on bean length, on moisture and suppleness, on vanillin content, and on whether the bean is whole and unsplit.
Bean length, condition and cure
11 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Bean lengthCentimetres, measured bean by bean on a drawn sample | The primary grading measure. Contracts name a minimum length or a length band. |
| Beans per kilogramCount | Reported alongside length. A function of length and moisture together. |
| Whole and unsplitBean intact along its length | The gourmet presentation. Splits open in curing when a bean is left on the vine too long. |
| Split beansTraded as a separate grade | Sound and aromatic, but not a gourmet presentation. The bulk of extraction feedstock. |
| SupplenessThe bean can be wrapped around a finger without cracking | The physical expression of correct moisture. Assessed on a drawn sample and backed by the moisture figure. |
| ColourCIELAB coordinates on a stated instrument, or against a sealed sample | Ranges from deep chocolate brown to reddish brown by origin and cure. |
| Vanillin crystals on the surfacePresent or absent | Crystalline bloom on well cured beans. Recorded, not required. |
| MouldMaximum percentage by mass | Weighed after hand separation. The principal curing defect. |
| Cuts, scars and blemishesMaximum percentage by mass | Weighed after hand separation. |
| Red beans and stripesPercentage by mass | Under cured or sun scarred material, weighed after separation. |
| Species declarationVanilla planifolia or Vanilla tahitensis, declared | The two species have distinct aroma chemistry and are contracted separately. |
Analytical requirements
10 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| MoisturePercentage by mass | Determined by ISO 5565-2. Contracted as a band, not a maximum: too dry and the bean cracks, too wet and it moulds in transit. |
| VanillinPercentage by mass on a dry basis | Determined by high performance liquid chromatography per ISO 5565-2. The principal aroma compound and the extraction yield measure. |
| Total ashMaximum percentage by mass | Determined by ISO 928. |
| Acid insoluble ashMaximum percentage by mass | Determined by ISO 930. |
| p hydroxybenzaldehyde, vanillic acid and p hydroxybenzoic acidPercentage by mass | Determined by chromatography. The ratio to vanillin fingerprints a genuine cured bean. |
| Synthetic vanillin detectionCarbon isotope ratio mass spectrometry | Distinguishes vanillin grown in the pod from vanillin made from lignin or guaiacol. Contracted as natural. |
| Added extract or spent bean detectionVanillin read against the marker compound ratio | Exposes beans already extracted and re infused. |
| Water activityMeasured on a calibrated instrument | The mould risk measure for a supple, high moisture product in a sealed container. |
| 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. |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Madagascar | Africa | Origin |
| Indonesia | Southeast Asia | Origin |
| Uganda | Africa | Origin |
| Papua New Guinea | Oceania | Origin |
| India | South Asia | Origin and destination |
| Mexico | North America | Origin and destination |
| Comoros | Africa | Origin |
| Tanzania | Africa | Origin |
| Tonga | Oceania | Origin |
| French Polynesia | Oceania | Origin |
| Sri Lanka | South Asia | Origin |
| Costa Rica | Central America | Origin |
| Reunion | Africa | Origin |
| China | East Asia | Origin and destination |
| Vietnam | Southeast Asia | Origin |
| Malawi | Africa | Origin |
| Kenya | Africa | Origin |
| Brazil | South America | Origin |
| United States | North America | Destination |
| Canada | North America | Destination |
| France | Europe | Destination |
| Germany | Europe | Destination |
| Netherlands | Europe | Destination |
| United Kingdom | Europe | Destination |
| Switzerland | Europe | Destination |
| Belgium | Europe | Destination |
| Italy | Europe | Destination |
| Spain | Europe | Destination |
| Denmark | Europe | Destination |
| Japan | East Asia | Destination |
| South Korea | East Asia | Destination |
| Singapore | Southeast Asia | Origin and destination |
| United Arab Emirates | Middle East | Origin and destination |
| Australia | Oceania | Destination |
| South Africa | Africa | Destination |
| Turkiye | Middle East | Destination |
Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.
Timing
Harvest is when the green pod is picked at origin. Arrival is when cured beans from that pick typically land in a consuming market. The gap between them is the cure, which takes months and is the reason vanilla arrives long after it is picked.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madagascar | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jun to Aug, arrival Nov to MarSAVA region picks green from June to August. Curing takes several months, so cured beans ship from late in the year. The dominant origin in world trade. | ||||
| Indonesia | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest May to Aug, arrival Oct to JanJava, Bali, Sulawesi and Papua pick green from mid year, with a shorter cure than Madagascar. | ||||
| Uganda | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest Jun to Jan, arrival Apr to NovCrops twice a year, with a mid year pick and a second pick around the turn of the year. | ||||
| Papua New Guinea | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Apr to Jul, arrival Sep to DecPicks green from April to July. | ||||
| Comoros | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jun to Aug, arrival Nov to FebPicks green from June to August. | |||||
| India | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest Dec to Feb, arrival Apr to JunKerala and Karnataka pick green around the turn of the year. | ||||||
| Mexico | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest Dec to Mar, arrival May to AugVeracruz and Oaxaca pick green from December into March. | ||||
| French Polynesia | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest May to Aug, arrival Sep to DecTahitensis beans, picked from May to August and cured to a higher moisture than planifolia. | ||||
| Tanzania | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jun to Aug, arrival Nov to JanPicks green from June to August. |
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 vanilla. 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 heading0905.10 Vanilla, neither crushed nor ground
0905.20 Vanilla, crushed or ground - PackingBundled and vacuum packed in foil laminate of 1 kg to 5 kg inside lined cartons, moisture at 25 to 35 percent for gourmet grade. Held at 15 to 20 degrees Celsius.
- Container loadingCartons palletised, shipped airfreight or in a reefer at 15 to 20 degrees Celsius. Never ambient dry container on a long transit.
- 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 vanilla does SIP Global trade?
We quote 21 published grades of vanilla, including Bean length - Centimetres, measured bean by bean on a drawn sample, Beans per kilogram - Count, Whole and unsplit - Bean intact along its length, Split beans - Traded as a separate grade, Suppleness - The bean can be wrapped around a finger without cracking and Colour - CIELAB coordinates on a stated instrument, or against a sealed sample. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is vanilla graded?
Vanilla is graded on bean length, on moisture and suppleness, on vanillin content, and on whether the bean is whole and unsplit. Grading runs on 2 systems: Bean length, condition and cure and Analytical requirements.
Where does SIP Global trade vanilla?
We trade vanilla in Madagascar, Indonesia, Uganda, Papua New Guinea, India, Mexico, Comoros and Tanzania and 28 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is vanilla harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Madagascar: harvest jun to aug, arrival nov to mar; Indonesia: harvest may to aug, arrival oct to jan; Uganda: harvest jun to jan, arrival apr to nov; Papua New Guinea: harvest apr to jul, arrival sep to dec; Comoros: harvest jun to aug, arrival nov to feb. 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 vanilla?
Vanilla is normally classified under HS 0905.10 (vanilla, neither crushed nor ground) and HS 0905.20 (vanilla, 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 vanilla?
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 vanilla 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
- 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.