Everything wholesale buyers need to know about Ceylon cloves — HPS and FAQ grades, MOC moisture specifications, EU MRL compliance, required documents, and minimum order quantities from Sri Lanka.
Why Ceylon Cloves Command a Premium
Sri Lanka ranks among the world's top five clove-producing nations, with cultivation concentrated in the Kandy, Matale, and low-country wet zone districts. Ceylon cloves are distinguished by their high volatile oil content (15–18%) and eugenol purity above 85%, making them the preferred origin for pharmaceutical, food-processing, and high-end culinary applications worldwide.
Clove Grades: What Do the Specifications Mean?
International clove trade uses standardised grade specifications. Here is what buyers typically encounter when sourcing from Sri Lanka:
- Hand-Picked Select (HPS) — Whole, mature buds with heads intact. Moisture ≤12%, volatile oil ≥15%, stems <2%. The premium export grade for retail and food manufacturers.
- FAQ (Fair Average Quality) — Whole buds with slightly higher stem content (≤5%) and minor impurities. The most commonly traded bulk export grade for industrial buyers.
- Broken/Stemmy — Fragments, stems, and undersized buds. Sold at a discount for oleoresin and essential oil extraction.
The MOC (Moisture on Commodity) specification is a critical quality parameter. Sri Lanka's SLS 37 standard specifies maximum moisture at 12% for whole cloves. EU buyers typically specify ≤10% to allow for transit moisture gain without breaching import limits at destination ports.
EU Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for Cloves
Cloves exported to the European Union must comply with EU Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 on pesticide MRLs. Key limits to verify in supplier CoA documents:
- Chlorpyrifos: 0.05 mg/kg (default limit)
- Chlorpyrifos-methyl: 0.05 mg/kg
- Dithiocarbamates (expressed as CS₂): 0.1 mg/kg
- Profenofos: 0.05 mg/kg
Ceylon Aroma supplies an ISO 17025-accredited multi-residue pesticide test report covering 250+ compounds with every commercial shipment. Certificates of Analysis are available on request prior to contract.
Shipping Cloves: Packaging, Container Loading & Lead Times
Whole cloves are traded by net weight. Standard export packaging options:
- 25 kg net polypropylene bags inside HDPE woven sacks (most common)
- 50 kg jute bags (preferred for organic-certified product)
- Custom retail packaging available for private label (50g–500g pouches, glass jars)
A 20-foot FCL container holds approximately 14,000–15,000 kg of whole cloves. LCL (groupage) shipments are available from 200 kg. Sea freight lead times from Colombo port:
- Europe (Rotterdam, Hamburg): 20–26 days
- USA East Coast (New York, Savannah): 24–30 days
- Middle East (Dubai, Jeddah): 8–12 days
- Australia (Melbourne, Sydney): 16–20 days
Documents Required for Clove Imports
Import clearance for Ceylon cloves into major markets requires the following documentation package:
- Commercial Invoice & Packing List
- Certificate of Origin (Form A / GSP Form for EU; Form E for APTA countries)
- Phytosanitary Certificate (issued by Sri Lanka's National Plant Quarantine Service)
- Certificate of Analysis — moisture, volatile oil content, eugenol %, pesticide screen
- ISO 22000 / HACCP Certificate (required for EU and US food-grade imports)
- Fumigation Certificate (where required by destination country regulations)
Minimum Order Quantities
Ceylon Aroma accepts orders from the following minimum quantities for wholesale clove exports:
- Sample / trial orders: 25 kg HPS whole cloves
- Commercial bulk: 500 kg (LCL shipment)
- Full container: 5,000 kg (20-foot FCL — most cost-efficient per kg rate)
Contact our export team for a CIF or FOB quotation, current price per kilogram, and available stock with lot certificate.