HS code lookup
Cardamom shares heading 0908 with nutmeg and mace. Inside it, the choice comes down to one question: has the spice been crushed or ground?
| HS code (6-digit) | Official description |
|---|---|
| 0908.30 | - Cardamoms |
| 0908.31 | Spices; cardamoms, neither crushed nor ground |
| 0908.32 | Spices; cardamoms, crushed or ground |
The first six digits are the same worldwide. Countries add their own further digits, and duty, licensing and statistics follow the national line, so confirm it in the destination tariff before quoting. Source: UN Comtrade HS nomenclature.
Heading 0908 has three spice families, each with a whole and a milled line. Cardamoms are 090830, with 090831 for neither crushed nor ground and 090832 for crushed or ground. Nutmeg is 090810 with 090811 and 090812, and mace is 090820 with 090821 and 090822.
Whole green pods, bleached pods and decorticated seeds that have been taken out of the capsule but not crushed all remain in 090831. Only ground or crushed product, whether pods or seed, is 090832.
Grade sorting by pod size, colour or bold versus small does not change the six-digit code. It changes the invoice, the price and the buyer’s specification, but not the tariff line.
What does fall outside is cardamom oil and oleoresin, which are extracts in a different chapter, and spice mixtures such as chai masala or garam masala, which are classed as blends. The heading also does not tell green cardamom from the larger dark type sold as black cardamom; both are commonly entered under the same cardamom lines, so read descriptions carefully when you count trade.
For whole pods, search 090831 in shipment data for your target country. The consignee lists usually mix spice importers, repackers and food manufacturers, and the quantity column shows whether they buy in full containers or small lots. Do the same on 090832 to find those who buy ready-ground.
National tariffs extend the six digits and may add conditions such as pesticide-residue limits, fumigation certificates or labelling rules. Confirm the current eight-digit line and requirements with the destination customs authority before you send a quotation.
Whole cardamom is 090831 and crushed or ground cardamom is 090832. Both fall under 090830 in heading 0908.
Not at six digits. Seeds taken out of the pod but not ground remain in 090831, together with whole pods. Milling moves the product to 090832.
No. Essential oils and oleoresins are extracts and belong in other chapters. The heading covers only the spice itself.
No. Size and colour grades do not affect the six-digit code. Show the grade on the invoice and certificate instead.
Keep exploring