Spices · importers
The United Kingdom ranks eighth of 96 at $2.2B in the chapter that contains spices, and a strong tradition of eating South Asian food drives demand for them.
| Market | HS 09 imports |
|---|---|
| United States | $11.7B |
| Germany | $6.5B |
| France | $4.0B |
| Italy | $3.4B |
| Canada | $2.4B |
Figures are for the whole of HS chapter 09 (coffee, tea, mate and spices). Source: UN Comtrade, as reported by national authorities; latest available year per market.
Japan is above and the Netherlands below, all at $2.2B when rounded. The UK’s share of 3.3% is level with Japan’s. The chapter is 0.3% of its $813.3B imports and ranks 50th among import chapters.
The British market has a large restaurant and takeaway sector built around curry and other spiced dishes, a big ready-meal industry, and grocery shelves full of sauces and seasoning mixes. Buyers include wholesalers to restaurants, ready-meal manufacturers and retail packers. Each buys in different formats, from sacks for a manufacturer to small tubs for a supermarket.
Retail customers and food manufacturers frequently pass down audit and documentation requirements, so a supplier should expect requests for site information and lot records. It also pays to ask how each buyer treats sample approval and pre-shipment inspection, since a chain or manufacturer may insist on independent testing at the loading port before it releases payment.
Import procedures and labelling have changed for many foods since 2020, so check the present conditions with the authorities and the buyer. China, the USA, Germany and France lead the UK’s overall source list, which covers all goods and does not show spice origins.
Because three markets share one rounded figure, re-exports and reporting differences can reorder them. The number combines coffee, tea, mate and spices, so spices are a fraction.
Look at spice-heading shipment records for consignees and weights. Then fix Incoterm, currency, payment terms and port, and contact the shortlist through this site’s free marketplace. Restaurant wholesalers, ready-meal makers and retail packers each expect different lot sizes, so match your offer to the segment before you approach.
Eighth of 96 at $2.2B in 2024, a 3.3% share of reported world imports.
Restaurant wholesalers, ready-meal makers, sauce producers and retail packers.
No. Coffee, tea and mate share the chapter.
Read shipment records under the spice headings and compare consignees by weight.
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