Free resourcesTrade references,
Trade references,
in one place.
HS codes, document checklists, grade charts and calculators for spice, paddy, coffee and pulse buyers. Specifications are typical trade descriptions, so always confirm the exact spec in your contract.
HS codes
Customs codes (first 4 digits).
National tariff lines add further digits. Check the full code with your customs broker. See HS codes for spices, coffee and pulses.
| HS heading | Products |
|---|---|
| 1006 | Rice, including rice in the husk (paddy or rough) |
| 0901 | Coffee (green, roasted) |
| 0904 | Pepper (Piper); dried chillies and capsicum |
| 0906 | Cinnamon and cinnamon-tree flowers |
| 0907 | Cloves |
| 0908 | Nutmeg, mace and cardamoms |
| 0909 | Seeds of anise, star anise, fennel, coriander, cumin, caraway |
| 0910 | Ginger, saffron, turmeric, thyme, bay leaves, curry and other spices |
| 0713 | Dried leguminous vegetables (pulses), shelled, whether or not split |
Grade charts
Common trade grades.
⚫ Black pepper
| TGSEB Tellicherry Garbled Special Extra Bold | Largest berries, approx. 4.75 mm and above |
| TGEB Tellicherry Garbled Extra Bold | Approx. 4.25 mm and above |
| MG1 Malabar Garbled Grade 1 | Standard export grade, specified by bulk density and moisture |
| FAQ / ungarbled Fair average quality | Ungraded, priced by bulk density (e.g. 500–580 g/L) |
🟢 Green cardamom
| 8 mm and above | Extra bold, premium |
| 7–8 mm | Bold, popular for export |
| 6–7 mm | Medium |
| Mixed / below 6 mm | Economical, often for grinding |
☕ Indian coffee
| Robusta Cherry AB / AA | Natural processed Robusta, graded by bean size |
| Robusta Parchment AB | Washed Robusta, cleaner cup |
| Arabica Plantation A | Washed Arabica, larger beans |
| PB (peaberry) | Single round bean, sorted separately |
| Monsooned Malabar AA | Monsoon-exposed Arabica, low acidity, heavy body |
📄 Export document checklist
- Commercial invoice
- Packing list
- Bill of lading (or airway bill)
- Certificate of origin (incl. preferential origin where applicable)
- Phytosanitary certificate
- Certificate of analysis (lab report)
- Fumigation or steam sterilisation certificate, when required
- Health certificate, when required by the destination
- Insurance certificate (CIF shipments)
🚢 Incoterms at a glance
- EXW: Buyer collects from our warehouse and handles everything else.
- FOB: We deliver on board the vessel at the Indian or UAE port of loading.
- CFR: We pay freight to your destination port; risk passes at loading.
- CIF: As CFR, plus we arrange cargo insurance to your port.
- DAP: We deliver to your named place, import duties and clearance on you.
Checklists
Things to check when trading spices.
Use these on every deal. Read the full 25-point trading checklist and how to verify a buyer or supplier.
✅ Before every deal
- Counterparty: registered company, address, references and matching bank details
- Product: exact name, origin, grade and crop year
- Specification: moisture, purity, density or size, volatile oil
- Safety: aflatoxins, pesticide residues, Salmonella, no ethylene oxide
- Approved pre-shipment sample from the actual lot
- Lab report from an accredited lab, matching the lot number
- Contract: quantity tolerance, price, Incoterm, shipment period
- Payment terms that match the documents
- Quality claims process, deadlines and final inspection
- Documents match the contract and L/C exactly
- Container clean, dry and odour-free, with the seal number recorded
- Inspect and sample on arrival, and raise claims on time
🔎 Verifying a buyer or supplier
- Check the company in the official registry
- Call them on a number from their official website
- Speak to at least two trade references
- Confirm any bank detail change by phone, never by email alone
- Have your bank authenticate letters of credit
- Verify bills of lading with the shipping line
- Start with a trial order on secure payment terms
🚩 Red flags
- Prices far below the market
- Urgent, very large first orders
- Fees requested before any business
- Free email addresses for a 'large company'
- Payment to a third party or another country
- No samples, no inspection, no video call
Kerala origins
The Malabar coast's best-known spices.
Calculators
Free trade tools.
Export price calculator
FOB → CFR → CIF → landed cost per kg
Open tool →Container load calculator
Bags and tonnes per 20 ft / 40 ft
Open tool →Black pepper quality checker
Bulk density, light berries, moisture
Open tool →Moisture weight loss
What drying does to weight and value
Open tool →Currency converter
AED, EUR, USD and INR at daily rates
Open tool →Freight cost per unit
Spread freight across your cargo
Open tool →Dimensional weight
For air and courier samples
Open tool →Profit margin
Price your resale margin
Open tool →Safety stock
Plan stock against price and crop swings
Open tool →Looking for a trusted paddy, spice or coffee supplier?
Send us the product, grade, quantity and destination. We'll reply with an offer and samples.
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