Global exports of cardamom reached an estimated US$950.2 million in 2024.

Compared to 2020, when worldwide shipments were valued at $1.56 billion, exports have fallen by an average of 39% over the five-year span. However, on a year-to-year basis, the international trade value for this aromatic spice rose by 18.5% from 2023’s figure of $986.1 million.

Cardamom, prized for its bold and complex flavor, is a staple in both sweet and savory cuisines across Asia. It’s a common ingredient in spice blends, desserts, beverages like tea and coffee, and even in certain alcoholic drinks such as gin and bitters.

Located in Central America and bordering Mexico to the north, Guatemala continues to dominate the cardamom trade. Together with India, Nepal, Indonesia, and Singapore, these top five exporters accounted for 88.1% of global cardamom exports in 2024.

From a regional viewpoint, Latin American nations (excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean) recorded the highest export value at $500.3 million, representing 52.7% of global trade. Asia followed with 42.5%, while Europe contributed 4.1%. Smaller shares came from Africa (0.5%), North America (0.3%), and Oceania (0.02%), primarily led by Guam and Australia.

Key Import Markets

On the import side, the world’s top five buyers in 2024 were Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, India, mainland China, and Bangladesh. Combined, these markets absorbed about two-thirds (66%) of total global imports by value.

Interestingly, while 82 countries exported cardamom, the trade was highly concentrated—88.1% of exports came from just five suppliers. In contrast, 155 nations, territories, and islands imported the spice, with the top five accounting for a smaller 66% share.

By continent, the bulk of imported cardamom—85.9%—was delivered to Asian markets, followed by North America (6.8%), Africa (1.8%), Latin America (0.9%), and Oceania (0.7%), notably Australia and New Zealand.

For classification purposes, cardamom falls under the Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) codes 090831 (whole, non-crushed) and 090832 (crushed or ground). In 2024, 96.4% of exports were of whole cardamom, while 3.6% represented crushed or ground products.

Top Cardamoms Exports by Company

According to Tendata, these are the top 10 cardamom exporting companies：

1.SOUTH INDIAN GREEN CARDAMOM COMPANY LIMITED(8.91%, $21.35 Million)

2.PACE VENTURES PVT LTD(6.11%, $14.63 Million)

3.THE KERALA CARDAMOM PROCESSING AND MARKETING CO LTD(5.82%, $13.94 Million)

4.NELIXIA HONDURAS S A DE C V(3.05%, $7.31 Million)

5.ADANI FOOD PRODUCTS PVT LTD(2.88%, $6.89 Million)

6.HỘ KINH DOANH ĐỖ NGỌC HÙNG(2.75%, $6.58 Million)

7.BHOJRAJ JAIN(2.38%, $5.7 Million)

8.KOKO SPICES PRIVATE LIMITED(1.91%, $4.58 Million)

9.CHAIZUP BEVERAGES LLP(1.73%, $4.13 Million)

10.VALUE BEVERAGE(1.7%, $4.07 Million)

Top Cardamoms Imports by Company

According to Tendata, the following are the top 10 cardamom importers：

1.ADANI FOOD PRODUCTS PVT LTD(7.41%, $13.81 Million)

2.JABS INTERNATIONAL PVT LTD(6.39%, $11.9 Million)

3.BHOJRAJ JAIN(5.98%, $11.14 Million)

4.MAA KARNI TRADERS(5.84%, $10.89 Million)

5.JEEN TRADELINK PRIVATE LIMITED(4.23%, $7.88 Million)

6.MUNMUN TRADERS(4.16%, $7.76 Million)

7.R S ASSOCIATES(2.43%, $4.53 Million)

8.PRABHAT KUMAR AGARWAL(2.06%, $3.84 Million)

9.SILIGURI MERCHANTILES PRIVATE LIMITED(1.89%, $3.52 Million)

10.ABU MOHAMMAD AND COMPANY(1.67%, $3.1 Million)

Top 20 Cardamom Exporters in 2024

1.Guatemala – US$495.9 million (52.2%)

2.India – $206.8 million (21.8%)

3.Nepal – $63 million (6.6%)

4.Indonesia – $51.6 million (5.4%)

5.Singapore – $19.4 million (2%)

6.Netherlands – $16.3 million (1.7%)

7.Bhutan – $14.8 million (1.6%)

8.United Arab Emirates – $14.1 million (1.5%)

9.Saudi Arabia – $10.1 million (1.1%)

10.Türkiye – $8.9 million (0.9%)

11.Bahrain – $7.3 million (0.8%)

12.Germany – $7 million (0.7%)

13.United Kingdom – $4 million (0.4%)

14.Honduras – $3.71 million (0.4%)

15.Tanzania – $3.68 million (0.4%)

16.Vietnam – $2.5 million (0.3%)

17.Kuwait – $2.3 million (0.2%)

18.Spain – $2.1 million (0.2%)

19.France – $1.68 million (0.2%)

20.Sweden – $1.65 million (0.2%)

Collectively, these 20 countries represented 98.6% of global cardamom exports in 2024.

Among the most dynamic exporters were Tanzania (up 546.3%), Bahrain (up 447.3%), Honduras (up 125.1%), and India (up 101.9%) compared to 2023.

Meanwhile, UAE (-86%), Saudi Arabia (-52.5%), Indonesia (-21.3%), Vietnam (-16.2%), and France (-14.1%) recorded notable declines.

Top 20 Cardamom Importers in 2024

Global spending on imported cardamom totaled $994.6 million in 2024—down 14.9% from 2020, but up 27.3% from 2023.

1.Saudi Arabia – US$251.5 million (25.3%)

2.United Arab Emirates – $222 million (22.3%)

3.India – $83 million (8.3%)

4.Mainland China – $52.1 million (5.2%)

5.Bangladesh – $47.9 million (4.8%)

6.Jordan – $37.4 million (3.8%)

7.Kuwait – $28.4 million (2.9%)

8.United States – $28.3 million (2.8%)

9.Pakistan – $18.2 million (1.8%)

10.Oman – $17.2 million (1.7%)

11.United Kingdom – $17.1 million (1.7%)

12.Qatar – $13.7 million (1.4%)

13.Egypt – $12.5 million (1.3%)

14.Iraq – $12.1 million (1.2%)

15.Türkiye – $11.7 million (1.2%)

16.Singapore – $11.6 million (1.2%)

17.Canada – $10.2 million (1%)

18.Netherlands – $10.1 million (1%)

19.Germany – $9.4 million (0.9%)

20.Japan – $9.3 million (0.9%)

Together, these 20 markets purchased 90.9% of all cardamoms imported worldwide.

The fastest-growing import markets since 2023 were United Kingdom (up 119.4%), Japan (up 110.3%), Qatar (up 92.3%), and UAE (up 84.2%).

Countries that saw import declines included Egypt (-56.9%), China (-25.4%), Iraq (-16.6%), Singapore (-15.3%), and India (-3.5%).