Exports of cloves grew in value by an average 74.6% since 5 years earlier in 2020 when export sales for cloves were $379.4 million.
Year over year, international sales of the exported spice rose by 8.5% compared to $610.4 million starting from 2023.
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 (Indonesia, Madagascar, United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Tanzaia sold 87.5% of all exported cloves sold during 2024.
Applying a continental perspective, countries in Asia supplied the highest dollar worth of exported cloves during 2024 with shipments valued at $434.2 million or 65.6% of the global total. In second place were exporters in Africa (28.7%) trailed by those in Europe (4.8%) and Latin America (0.5%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean. Tinier percentages originated from suppliers in North America (0.4%) and Oceania’s Australia, Fiji and New Zealand only (0.01%).
Shifting our focus to imports, the 5 leading importers of cloves in 2024 are India, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, mainland China and Saudi Arabia. Combined, that quintet of top import countries bought about three-fifths (59.5%) of globally imported cloves as measured by dollar value.
The above percentages suggest the total 97 exporters of cloves (87.5% 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 59.5% (compared to 87.5% for the 5 leading clove exporters).
As for global imports of cloves by continent, 75.8% of cloves purchased on international markets was delivered to customers in Asia well ahead of importers in Europe (8.4%), North America (6.3%), Latin America (4.53%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (also 4.53%) and Oceania (0.4%) led by Australia.
We calculated the average unit price paid by cloves importers to be $7,200 per ton in 2024. That dollar amount reflects a -6.2% decline from the average tonnage charge of $7,646 during 2023.
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 (96.4%) and crushed or ground (3.6% compared to 2.3% for 2023).
Top Cloves Exports by Country
Below are the top 20 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of cloves during 2024.
- Indonesia: US$324.9 million (49.1% of total exported cloves)
- Madagascar: $163 million (24.6%)
- United Arab Emirates: $50.3 million (7.6%)
- Singapore: $23.8 million (3.6%)
- Tanzania: $17.1 million (2.6%)
- Sri Lanka: $12.5 million (1.9%)
- India: $12.2 million (1.8%)
- Netherlands: $9.3 million (1.4%)
- Comoros: $8.6 million (1.3%)
- Germany: $6.6 million (1%)
- Vietnam: $4 million (0.6%)
- Spain: $3.6 million (0.5%)
- Brazil: $3 million (0.4%)
- France: $2.5 million (0.4%)
- Türkiye: $2.2 million (0.3%)
- China: $2 million (0.3%)
- United Kingdom: $1.9 million (0.3%)
- Austria: $1.54 million (0.2%)
- United States: $1.51 million (0.2%)
- Latvia: $1.4 million (0.2%)
By value, the listed 20 countries shipped 98.4% of globally exported cloves in 2024.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing cloves exporters since 2023 were: Netherlands (up 22.8%), Spain (up 18.7%), United Arab Emirates (up 16%) and the United Kingdom (up 14.3%).
Listed suppliers that posted year-over-year declines in their exported cloves sales were led by: Sri Lanka (down -71.2% from 2023), Singapore (down -63.9%), Comoros (down -61.6%), Madagascar (down -35.4%) and Tanzania (down -32%).
Top Cloves Imports by Country
The overall cost for imported cloves inflated by 74.9% over the 5-year period starting in 2020 but slowed to a 4% gain compared to 2023.
Below are the 20 best buying markets as measured by the highest dollar value worth of cloves imported during 2024.
- India: US$222.9 million (32.3% of total imported cloves)
- United Arab Emirates: $64.2 million (9.3%)
- Indonesia: $57.7 million (8.4%)
- mainland China: $34.9 million (5.1%)
- Saudi Arabia: $31.1 million (4.5%)
- United States: $29 million (4.2%)
- Singapore: $21.9 million (3.2%)
- Bangladesh: $17 million (2.5%)
- Pakistan: $10.9 million (1.6%)
- Peru: $10.7 million (1.6%)
- Mexico: $9.7 million (1.4%)
- Iraq: $9.5 million (1.4%)
- Yemen: $9.2 million (1.3%)
- Germany: $9 million (1.3%)
- Netherlands: $8.1 million (1.2%)
- Egypt: $7.9 million (1.1%)
- Iran: $6.8 million (1%)
- Dominican Republic: $6.2 million (0.9%)
- France: $5.8 million (0.8%)
- United Kingdom: $5.7 million (0.8%)
By value, the listed 20 countries bought 83.7% of globally imported cloves in 2024.
Among the top importers, the fastest-growing cloves importers since 2023 were: Iran (up 2,191%), mainland China (up 234.9%), Yemen (up 137.3%) and Egypt (up 117.2%).
A pair of listed buyer countries posted annual declines in their imported cloves purchases namely Indonesia (down -73.4% from 2023) and Singapore (down -60.8%).
Lowest and Highest Unit Prices for Imported Cloves
In 2024, we calculated the world’s average unit price for imported cloves as US$7,200 per ton. That dollar average slowed by -6.2% compared to an average $7,646 for 2023.
The average tonnage charge for the number one cloves importer, India, was lower than the global average at $6,991 perhaps partly due to economies of scale.
Ranked in ascending order, listed below are the countries paying the lowest average unit prices for imported cloves in 2024.
- Mauritania: US$150 per ton (down -48% from 2023)
- Tanzania: $267 per ton (up 24%)
- Ghana: $360 per ton (down -30%)
- Senegal: $472 per ton (up 28.8%)
- Congo: $476 per ton (down -20%)
- Mozambique: $500 per ton (down -500%)
- Democratic Republic Congo: $500 per ton (up 14.2%)
- Samoa: $500 per ton (down 0%)
- Niger: $500 per ton (down -100%)
- Benin: $667 per ton (down -124.9%)
- Burkina Faso: $720 per ton (2023 data unavailable)
- Lesotho: $750 per ton (down -433.3%)
- Angola: $1,205 per ton (down -68.7%)
- Grenada: $1,333 per ton (down -50%)
- Kyrgyzstan: $1,571 per ton (up 25.7%)
Realizing triple-digit percentage reductions in the average unit price paid per ton for cloves from 2023 to 2024 were low-cost importers in Mozambique (down -500%), Lesotho (down -433.3%), Benin (down -124.9%) and Niger (down -100%).
The following countries paid the highest average unit prices for imported cloves.
- Slovenia: US$27,333 per ton (up 2.4% from 2023)
- Ireland: $26,929 per ton (up 17.7%)
- Cabo Verde: $24,000 per ton (up 72.2%)
- Montenegro: $23,000 per ton (up 4.3%)
- Bosnia/Herzegovina: $22,000 per ton (up 1.1%)
- Luxembourg: $21,500 per ton (down -165.1%)
- Iceland: $21,000 per ton (up 35.7%)
- Belarus: $20,000 per ton (up 38.3%)
- Switzerland: $19,333 per ton (up 8%)
- Bermuda: $19,000 per ton (up 21.1%)
- Norway: $16,750 per ton (up 5.8%)
- Sri Lanka: $15,733 per ton (up 54.9%)
- Croatia: $15,643 per ton (up 6.7%)
- Portugal: $15,059 per ton (up 3.6%)
- Mongolia: $15,000 per ton (down -26.7%)
Recording the greatest percentage increases in terms of higher average unit prices in 2024 compared to 2023 were paid by importers in Cabo Verda (up 72.2%), Sri Lanka (up 54.9%), Belarus (up 38.3%), Iceland (up 35.7%) and Bermuda (up 21.1%).
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 January 2, 2026
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on January 2, 2026
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on January 2, 2026
Wikipedia, Clove. Accessed on January 2, 2026