Exports of cloves accelerated in value by an average 83.2% since 5 years earlier in 2019 when export sales for cloves were $332.4 million.
Year over year, international sales of the exported spice fell by -2.7% compared to $626.3 million starting from 2022.
Cloves are used to spice up meats, curries and marinades plus fruits notably apples, pears and rhubarb. They are also added to spice blends like pumpkin pie spice. As well, cloves can give extra aromatic and taste qualities to hot drinks.
Resembling cigars, clove cigarettes are smoked throughout Asia, Europe and the United States. Cloves can also be used in traditional medicine mainly to treat pain in dental emergencies, or as an essential oil for aromatherapy.
By value, the 5 biggest exporters of cloves (Madagascar, Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates) sold 82.9% of all exported cloves sold during 2023.
Applying a continental perspective, countries in Africa supplied the highest dollar worth of exported cloves during 2023 with shipments valued at $300.6 million or 49.3% of the global total. In second place were exporters in Asia (45.2%) trailed by those in Europe (4.3%) and Latin America (0.8%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean. Tinier percentages originated from suppliers in North America (0.3%) and Oceania’s Australia, Fiji and New Zealand only (0.01%).
Shifting our focus to imports, the 5 leading importers of cloves in 2023 are Indonesia, India, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Combined, that quintet of top import countries bought approaching three-quarters (72.7%) of globally imported cloves as measured by dollar value.
The above percentages suggest the total 95 exporters of cloves (82.9% for the corresponding top 5 exporters) is a more concentrated cohort compared to 183 buying countries, islands and territories. The top 5 importers accounted for a smaller portion of its world total at 72.7% (compared to 82.9% for the 5 leading clove exporters).
As for global imports of cloves by continent, 83.1% of cloves purchased on international markets was delivered to customers in Asia well ahead of importers in Europe (7.1%), North America (3.8%), Latin America (3%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (2.7%) and Oceania (0.3%) led by Australia.
We calculated the average unit price paid by cloves importers to be $8,397 per ton in 2023. That dollar amount reflects a 12.6% inflation rate from the average tonnage charge of $7,339 during 2022.
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 0907 for cloves including its whole fruit, cloves and stems.
Exports of cloves can be organized into two major categories: uncrushed and non-ground (96.7%) and crushed or ground (2.3% compared to 2.8% for 2022).
Top Cloves Exports by Country
Below are the top 20 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of cloves during 2023.
- Madagascar: US$252.4 million (41.4% of total exported cloves)
- Indonesia: $99.6 million (16.4%)
- Singapore: $65.9 million (10.8%)
- Sri Lanka: $43.6 million (7.2%)
- United Arab Emirates: $43.4 million (7.1%)
- Tanzania: $25.1 million (4.1%)
- Comoros: $22.3 million (3.7%)
- India: $15.2 million (2.5%)
- Netherlands: $7.9 million (1.3%)
- Germany: $5.6 million (0.9%)
- Brazil: $3.4 million (0.6%)
- Spain: $3 million (0.5%)
- France: $2.5 million (0.4%)
- mainland China: $2.48 million (0.4%)
- Vietnam: $2.2 million (0.4%)
- United Kingdom: $1.6 million (0.3%)
- Türkiye: $1.5 million (0.2%)
- Austria: $1.4 million (0.2%)
- Dominican Republic: $1.1 million (0.2%)
- Canada: $1 million (0.2%)
By value, the listed 20 countries shipped 98.7% of globally exported cloves in 2023.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing cloves exporters since 2022 were: Canada (up 27.3%), Spain (up 26.0%), United Kingdom (up 23%) and Vietnam (up 19.2%).
Listed suppliers that posted year-over-year declines in their exported cloves sales were led by: Brazil (down -58.8%), mainland China (down -51.3%), Tanzania (down -40.3%), Comoros (down -37.9%) and Singapore (down -30.4%).
Top Cloves Imports by Country
The overall cost for imported cloves inflated by 113.2% over the 5-year period starting in 2019 but slowed by -1.6% from 2022.
Below are the 20 best buying markets as measured by the highest dollar value worth of cloves imported during 2023.
- Indonesia: US$216.6 million (32.8% of total imported cloves)
- India: $141.2 million (21.4%)
- Singapore: $55.9 million (8.5%)
- United Arab Emirates: $43.5 million (6.6%)
- Saudi Arabia: $23.1 million (3.5%)
- United States: $19.5 million (3%)
- Bangladesh: $10.9 million (1.7%)
- mainland China: $10.4 million (1.6%)
- Iraq: $7.9 million (1.2%)
- Germany: $7.6 million (1.1%)
- Netherlands: $7.4 million (1.1%)
- Pakistan: $6.3 million (0.9%)
- Peru: $6 million (0.9%)
- United Kingdom: $5.3 million (0.8%)
- Dominican Republic: $4.74 million (0.7%)
- Malaysia: $4.66 million (0.7%)
- France: $4.1 million (0.6%)
- Yemen: $3.9 million (0.6%)
- Egypt: $3.6 million (0.5%)
- Spain: $3.5 million (0.5%)
By value, the listed 20 countries bought 88.7% of globally imported cloves in 2023.
Among the top importers, the fastest-growing cloves importers since 2022 were: Peru (up 171.9%), Bangladesh (up 93.1%), Iraq (up 57.4%) and Spain (up 56.7%).
Listed buyer countries that posted annual declines in their imported cloves purchases were led by: Malaysia (down -61.3%), Egypt (down -39.7%), Singapore (down -38.3%), Yemen (down -31.7%) and Pakistan (down -14.9%).
Lowest and Highest Unit Prices for Imported Cloves
In 2023, we calculated the world’s average unit price for imported cloves as US$8,397 per ton. That dollar average grew by 12.6% compared to an average $7,339 for 2022.
The average tonnage charge for the number one cloves importer, Indonesia, was higher than the global average at $9,068.
Ranked in ascending order, listed below are the countries paying the lowest average unit prices for imported cloves in 2023.
- Tanzania: US$203 per ton (up 25.1% from 2022)
- Mauritania: $222 per ton (up 3.6%)
- Gabon: $222 per ton (down -800.9%)
- Senegal: $336 per ton (up 17.3%)
- Zambia: $462 per ton (down -657.6%)
- Ghana: $495 per ton (down -11.3%)
- Kenya: $588 per ton (up 44.9%)
- Liberia: $625 per ton (up 60%)
- Djibouti: $893 per ton (up 29.2%)
- Democratic Republic Congo: $1,000 per ton (up 84.6%)
- Niger: $1,000 per ton (down -100%)
- Kyrgyzstan: $1,167 per ton (down -114.2%)
- Papua New Guinea: $1,333 per ton (down -12.5%)
- Benin: $1,500 per ton (up 71.4%)
- Uzbekistan: $1,571 per ton (up 32.1%)
Realizing triple-digit percentage reductions in the average unit price paid per ton for cloves from 2022 to 2023 were low-cost importers in Gabon (down -800.9%), Zambia (down -657.6%), Kyrgyzstan (down -114.2%) and Niger (down -100%).
The following countries paid the highest average unit prices for imported cloves.
- Luxembourg: US$41,000 per ton (up 34.1% from 2022)
- Slovenia: $26,667 per ton (up 27.7%)
- Ireland: $22,167 per ton (down -389%)
- Montenegro: $22,000 per ton (up 27.3%)
- Bosnia/Herzegovina: $21,750 per ton (up 10.3%)
- Moldova: $19,000 per ton (up 38.6%)
- Mongolia: $19,000 per ton (up 5.3%)
- Switzerland: $17,784 per ton (up 17%)
- Dominica: $17,000 per ton (2022 data unavailable)
- Norway: $15,773 per ton (up 6.9%)
- Bermuda: $15,000 per ton (up 43.3%)
- Portugal: $14,808 per ton (up 18.6%)
- Croatia: $14,600 per ton (up 3%)
- North Macedonia: $14,500 per ton (down -51.7%)
- Finland: $14,478 per ton (up 22.6%)
Recording the greatest percentage increases in terms of higher average unit prices in 2023 compared to 2022 were paid by importers in Bermuda (up 43.3%), Moldova (up 38.6%), Luxembourg (up 34.1%), Slovenia (up 27.7%) and Montenegro (up 27.3%).
See also Top Exported Spices by Sales, Weight and Unit Value, Cinnamon Exports by Country, Top Garlic Exports by Country, Top Turmeric Exports & Imports by Country and Top Peppermint Exports & Imports by Country
Research Sources:
Alibaba, Cloves Showroom. Accessed on December 7, 2024
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on December 7, 2024
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on December 7, 2024
Wikipedia, Clove. Accessed on December 7, 2024