Revenues for exported cloves declined in value by an average -14.2% since 2017 when export sales for cloves were $501 million.
Year over year, overall sales of the exported spice accelerated by 13.2% compared to $379.7 million for 2020.
Cloves is 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.
Key Geographic Insights for Cloves Exports & Imports
By value, the 5 biggest exporters of cloves are the island nation in the Indian Ocean named Madagascar, Indonesia, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, then the United Arab Emirates. Combined, that leading cohort sold over three-quarters (76.4%) of all exported cloves sold during 2021
Applying a continental perspective, countries in Asia supplied the highest dollar worth of exported cloves during 2021 with shipments valued at $216 million or 50.3% of the global total. In second place were exporters in Africa (42.2%) trailed by those in Europe (5.1%) and Latin America (2.1%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean. Tinier percentages originated from North America (0.36%) then Oceania’s (0.02%) Australia, Fiji and New Zealand only.
Shifting our focus to imports, the 5 leading importers of cloves in 2021 are India, Indonesia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and the United States of America. Added together, that quintet of top import countries bought more than two-thirds (67.9%) of globally imported cloves as measured by dollar value.
The above percentages suggest the total 94 exporters of cloves (76.4% for the corresponding top 5 exporters) is a more concentrated cohort compared to 180 buying countries, islands and territories. The top 5 importers accounted for a smaller portion of its world total at 67.9%.
As for global imports of cloves by continent, 80.3% of cloves purchased on international markets was delivered to customers in Asia well ahead of importers in Europe (8.6%), North America (4.3%), Africa (4.1%), Latin America (2.3%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, and Oceania (0.4%) led by Australia.
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 0809 for cloves including its whole fruit, cloves and stems.
Exports of cloves can be organized into two major categories: raw (96.8% of worldwide sales) and crushed or ground (3.2%).
Top Cloves Exports by Country
Below are the top 20 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of cloves during 2021.
- Madagascar: US$115.5 million (26.9% of total exported cloves)
- Indonesia: $96.1 million (22.4%)
- Tanzania: $51.8 million (12%)
- Sri Lanka: $37.1 million (8.6%)
- United Arab Emirates: $27.9 million (6.5%)
- Singapore: $27.2 million (6.3%)
- Comoros: $13.8 million (3.2%)
- Malaysia: $11.4 million (2.6%)
- Brazil: $8.4 million (2%)
- India: $8.1 million (1.9%)
- Netherlands: $5.7 million (1.3%)
- Germany: $5.3 million (1.2%)
- China: $5 million (1.2%)
- Spain: $2.5 million (0.6%)
- France: $1.9 million (0.4%)
- Vietnam: $1.6 million (0.4%)
- Turkey: $1.05 million (0.2%)
- Austria: $1.04 million (0.2%)
- United States: $1.03 million (0.2%)
- United Kingdom: $925,000 (0.2%)
By value, the listed 20 countries shipped 98.5% of globally exported cloves in 2021.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing cloves exporters since 2020 were: Comoros (up 67.3%), Turkey (up 57.9%), United Arab Emirates (up 51.2%) and the Netherlands (up 45.6%).
Three major suppliers posted double-digit percentage declines in their exported cloves sales. These were Brazil (down -55.4%), Indonesia (down -45.6%) and the United Kingdom (down -41.2%).
Top Cloves Imports by Country
The overall cost for imported cloves came to $441.1 million. That dollar metric reflects a -15.8% reduction over the 5-year period starting in 2017 but grew by 11.7% year over year since 2020.
Below are the 20 best buying markets as measured by the highest dollar value worth of cloves imported during 2021.
- India: $136 million (30.8% of total imported cloves)
- Indonesia: $77.5 million (17.6%)
- Singapore: $44.6 million (10.1%)
- United Arab Emirates: $26.8 million (6.1%)
- United States: $14.8 million (3.4%)
- Bangladesh: $13.6 million (3.1%)
- Saudi Arabia: $12.3 million (2.8%)
- Pakistan: $9.4 million (2.1%)
- China: $6.7 million (1.5%)
- Germany: $6.4 million (1.5%)
- Netherlands: $6.1 million (1.4%)
- Malaysia: $5.2 million (1.2%)
- France: $4.1 million (0.9%)
- Yemen: $3.7 million (0.8%)
- Egypt: $3.6 million (0.8%)
- United Kingdom: $3.4 million (0.8%)
- Iraq: $3.39 million (0.8%)
- Peru: $3 million (0.7%)
- Spain: $2.9 million (0.7%)
- Dominican Republic: $2.5 million (0.6%)
By value, the listed 20 countries bought 84.3% of globally imported cloves in 2021.
Among the top importers, the fastest-growing cloves importers since 2020 were: Ghana (up 1,355%), mainland China (up 839.3%), Malaysia (up 204.9%) and Egypt (up 76.4%).
Those countries that posted declines in their imported cloves purchases were led by: Indonesia (down -51.4%), Netherlands (down -39.5%), Saudi Arabia (down -18.2%), Yemen (down -11.6%) and the United Kingdom (down -7.4%).
Lowest and Highest Unit Prices for Imported Cloves
We calculated the world’s average unit price paid by cloves importers to be $5,619 per ton in 2021. That dollar amount reflects a -4% drop from the average tonnage rate of $5,845 during 2020.
The average tonnage charge for the number one cloves importer, India, was lower at $5,241–suggesting economies of scale.
Ranked in ascending order, listed below are the countries paying the lowest average unit prices for imported cloves in 2021.
- Tanzania: US$205 per ton (down -16.1% from 2020)
- Mozambique: $211 per ton (down -1,322%)
- Mauritania: $217 per ton (up 100%)
- Samoa: $250 per ton (up 100%)
- Senegal: $286 per ton (up 10.5%)
- Kenya: $487 per ton (up 100%)
- Benin: $500 per ton (up 33.4%)
- Nigeria: $625 per ton (down -48.8%)
- Congo: $667 per ton (up 100%)
- Jamaica: $902 per ton (down -216.7%)
- Kyrgyzstan: $1,000 per ton (down -100%)
- Grenada: $1,000 per ton (down -100%)
- Gabon: $1,000 per ton (up 100%)
- Tunisia: $1,331 per ton (up 27.9%)
- Uzbekistan: $1,333 per ton (up 10%)
Posting reductions in their average unit prices per ton for cloves from 2020 to 2021 were paid by low-cost importers Mozambique (down -1,322%), Jamaica (down -216.7%), Kyrgyzstan (down -100%), Grenada (also down -100%), Nigeria (down -48.8%) and Tanzania (down -16.1%).
The following countries paid the highest average unit prices for imported cloves.
- Finland: US$119,500 per ton (up 13% from 2020)
- Luxembourg: $38,000 per ton (up 28.9%)
- Bosnia & Herzegovina: $22,667 per ton (up 19.1%)
- Slovenia: $19,833 per ton (down -15%)
- Ireland: $19,696 per ton (up 71.9%)
- Mongolia: $16,000 per ton (up 100%)
- Switzerland: $15,657 per ton (up 5.8%)
- Cabo Verde: $15,000 per ton (down -6.7%)
- Norway: $14,476 per ton (up 8.2%)
- Serbia: $13,333 per ton (up 33.2%)
- Portugal: $13,235 per ton (up 2.9%)
- Uganda: $13,000 per ton (up 66.2%)
- Croatia: $12,800 per ton (up 12.5%)
- Iceland: $12,333 per ton (up 8.1%)
- Barbados: $10,857 per ton (up 26.3%)
The 6 strongest accelerations in terms of higher average unit prices in 2021 compared to 2020 were paid by importers in Mongolia (up 100%), Ireland (up 71.9%), Uganda (up 66.2%), Serbia (up 33.2%), Luxembourg (up 28.9%) and Barbados (up 26.3%).
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 November 25, 2022
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on November 25, 2022
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on November 25, 2022
Wikipedia, Clove. Accessed on November 25, 2022
