What is the demand for spices and herbs on the European market?

European imports of spices and herbs have been subject to various dynamics in the past few years. There is an increased interest in sustainably sourced spices, and related certification is becoming more important. Among the products in highest demand are dried chillies and pepper. Juniper berries, anise, badian and caraway seeds, spice mixtures and vanilla also offer good opportunities in the European market.

1. What makes Europe an interesting market for spices and herbs?

Market size and dependence on external suppliers make Europe an attractive target market for suppliers from developing countries. The European countries that present the most opportunities overall are the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland and France.

Europe’s mature and large market offers stability and good prices for suppliers

Europe is the world’s second-largest market for spices, accounting for 21% of global imports in 2023. This places them behind Asia but ahead of the Americas. The European market is mature and diverse, with 2 of the top-10 importing countries and a population of nearly 530 million consumers. Overall demand is stable and import volumes are significant. But prices paid by European importers are relatively high when compared to Asia and the Americas. 

Source: GloballyCool based on UNComtrade, September 2025

Europe depends on imports from developing countries

Most of Europe's spice imports come from developing countries (all countries on the OECD-DAC list). The majority of herbs consumed in Europe are produced within Europe. Figure 2 shows that import volumes from developing countries fluctuated over 2020-2024. Volumes peaked in 2021 thanks to record harvests but dipped in 2022 and 2023. They reached a new peak of 399 thousand tonnes in 2024.

Source: GloballyCool based on UN Comtrade, October 2025

Over 2020-2024, the total import volume of spices and herbs grew at an average annual rate (CAGR) of +2.3% for developing countries and +1.5% for intra-European trade, declining by 1.3% for the rest of the world. Overall, total European imports increased from 628 thousand tonnes in 2020 to 676 thousand tonnes in 2024.

Most herbs consumed in Europe are locally produced

The dependence on imports from developing countries also means that, for most products, there is not much competition from European producers. There are however a few exceptions. Production of dried herbs (and a few spices) takes place in France, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Spain, Hungary and Germany. Parsley and basil are among the most popular dried herbs. European production also includes bay leaves, celery leaves, chives, coriander leaves, dill tips, chervil, fennel, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, savoury, tarragon and thyme. Several of these herbs are used in the popular European ‘Mediterranean herb’ and ‘herbs de Provence’ spice mixes

Recent years seem to show a decline in herbs production in these European countries. But production is scattered across Europe and there is little sector-level data to prove this. But if this is a trend and it continues and the lower domestic or regional supply is supplemented with imports, it could offer opportunities for developing country suppliers. 

Forecast: Volumes to remain stable

European imports of spices and herbs will remain stable in the short and medium term. There will be some small growth because people use spices and herbs to replace salt and add flavour to plant-based foods. Import levels will still go up and down because production in supplying countries changes each year.

Inflation has also influenced consumption patterns. In Europe, inflation peaked in 2022 (with food prices rising 8.4%) and 2023 (around 5.3%) before dropping to 2.6% in 2024. In these years 2022-2023, high inflation most strongly affected higher-end markets, for example the organic food sector. This caused consumers to shift to conventional products which negatively impacted demand for organic spices and herbs. EU imports of organic spices and herbs did grow again in 2024 (14%), showing the positive impact of lower inflation. Economic conditions remain weak in some countries like Germany. But lower inflation is expected to support demand for organic and higher-value spices and herbs in 2025-2026.

According to the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) in EU markets, the index for salt, spices and culinary herbs rose from 115.18 points in October 2022 to 134.21 points in August 2024, and further to 137.61 in August 2025. Inflation for these products peaked between October 2022 and December 2023 but returned to substantially lower levels of 2.0-2.5% in 2024-2025.

Figure 3: Nutmeg in a Swiss mainstream supermarket

Source: GloballyCool, July 2023

The EU economy began 2025 stronger than expected, with modest growth projected for 2025 and 2026. Global uncertainty and trade tensions still create risks. But European imports of spices and herbs will probably grow a little, in line with economic growth. The EU economy grew by 1.0% in 2024 and is expected to grow by 1.1% in 2025 and 1.5% in 2026. Forecasters also expect average inflation to fall to 2.3% in 2025 and 1.9% in 2026. With modest growth, the EU market for spices and herbs imports is currently more stable than in Asia.

European hubs will remain strong destinations

The most important ports for spices and herbs in Europe are Rotterdam (Netherlands), Hamburg (Germany), Antwerp (Belgium), Felixstowe (United Kingdom), Valencia (Spain) and Marseille (France). After products arrive at those ports they are unloaded and transported by truck to other parts of Europe. The Port of Rotterdam is the largest in Europe. 

The main destinations of spices and herbs imports are expected to remain the same in the years to come. This means that the Netherlands will keep its position as the largest hub for spice imports into Europe. Other hubs in Europe are Germany (especially for black pepper from Brazil), France (vanilla from Madagascar) and Spain (dried chillies and particular herbs used in processing). 

Supply dynamics of single spices have a strong influence on imports

The average growth of the total market is greatly influenced by supply or market developments related to single spices. This strongly impacts import values even more (because prices tend to change more than volumes). The growth of the total market also has an impact on the total import volume and its trajectory. Spices that have shown large ups and downs over the period 2020-2024 are:

• Pepper (drops in 2022-2023, recovery in 2024), 
• Curcuma (peaks in 2020-2021, low in 2022, recovery since then), 
• Cumin (record harvest in 2021 followed by two years of misharvests in market leader Turkey), 
• Ginger (supply problems by Nigeria impacting volumes since 2023), and
• Vanilla (peaks in 2021 and 2022 followed by a reduced harvest in 2023 and record volumes in 2024). 

Spices with a more steady or moderately increasing trend are chillies and paprika, cloves, nutmeg, coriander seeds and cinnamon. Except for cinnamon (fairly stable), imports of these spices have shown an overall upward trend despite small dips. 

Also for the short-to-medium term, the expectation is that the supply volumes of certain spices will continue to show a dynamic pattern. Cumin and pepper are examples of such spices, with supply volumes strongly impacted by climate conditions in large supplying countries like India, Vietnam, Turkey and Brazil. 

Table 1: European import volumes from developing countries, by spice, by year and averaged, 2020-2024

Source: GloballyCool based on UNComtrade, September 2025

*Fresh curcuma included

**Fresh ginger excluded

Import of ground spices grows faster than whole spices

There is a clear trend towards importing ground spices from developing countries. Import volumes of ground spices (140 thousand tonnes in 2024) are still lower than those of whole spices (206 thousand tonnes). But ground spices have grown at a much higher rate. In 2020-2024, ground spices grew at +5.7% compared to +0.9% for whole spices.

Table 2a: European imports of whole spices from developing countries, in thousand tonnes, 2020-2024

Source: GloballyCool, based on UNComtrade, September 2025

Table 2b: European imports of ground spices from developing countries, in thousand tonnes, 2020-2024

Source: GloballyCool, based on UNComtrade, September 2025

The trend of rising exports of ground spices to Europe at the cost of whole spices is likely to continue in the short to medium term. 

Europe: Large market for sustainably produced spices and herbs

A small share of 3.6-5.2% (between 11,000 and 17,500 tonnes per year) of total EU27 imports are organic-certified spices and herbs. Between 2020-2024 they declined by 2.3% per year as the organic food market in Europe has been under pressure. EU imports of organic spices and herbs however regained growth in 2024 (14%), caused by a lower inflation that year. In 2025-2026, lower inflation is expected to support demand for organic spices and herbs, resulting in import growth of 3-7% per year.

Germany accounted for 55% (6,900 tonnes) of all organic-certified spices and herbs imported to the EU27, followed by the Netherlands representing 22% (2,800 tonnes) of all imports. France and Spain follow with each about 1,000 tonnes of organic spices and herbs imports.

In addition to organic-produced food, there is also growing consumer commitment to ethical and sustainably produced food. An important certification scheme with this focus is Fairtrade. Other certification schemes are Rainforest Alliance and BCorp. The Fairtrade market is based on the certification scheme. So traders can only trade Fairtrade-certified products if they have a certification too. 

The segment of organic spices and herbs is small. This is even more the case for Fairtrade-certified produce. The pioneer market for Fairtrade-certified products is the United Kingdom, while Switzerland too has developed into an important market. 

One of the pioneering companies for Fairtrade-certified spices in the United Kingdom is Steenbergs. In Switzerland, two important Fairtrade-certified spices importers are Pronatec and JC Fridlin. Important Fairtrade-certified companies in the Netherlands are the business-to-business cinnamon specialist Royal Polak Spices and the trading house Catz. In Denmark Mill and Mortar offers organic, fair trade, traceable and single-estate products.

India has the largest number of Fairtrade-certified companies in the spices segment, while Egypt has the largest number in the herbs segment. The segment of organic spices and herbs is already small and the segment of Fairtrade-certified spices and herbs is even smaller (less than 0.5% of the total market volume).

The European market for Fairtrade-certified spices and herbs is expected to grow gradually over the next three to five years. The he following trends and developments influence this growth:

• Rising consumer awareness and demand for ethical products. This growing awareness, especially among younger consumers, is driving demand for Fairtrade products, including spices and herbs.
• Sustainability and traceability regulations: European Union regulations are increasingly focusing on sustainability, traceability and ethical sourcing. As these regulations tighten, manufacturers may turn to Fairtrade-certified sources to comply with new requirements and to appeal to consumers looking for responsibly sourced products.
• Retailers promoting Fairtrade: several major retailers in Europe (e.g. Coop in Switzerland, Lidl in Germany and several other countries, REWE Group in Germany) are gradually expanding their Fairtrade-certified product offerings in response to consumer demand. Increased shelf space and online visibility for Fairtrade spices and herbs could lead to greater awareness and sales.
• Growth in organic and health-conscious markets: the organic and health-conscious segments, while small, are growing in Europe. Consumers in these niches are often more willing to pay premiums for ethically and sustainably produced goods, which can benefit Fairtrade-certified spices and herbs.
• Education and marketing efforts: as the Fairtrade organisation and others continue to educate consumers about the benefits of Fairtrade-certified products, more people will purchase these products. Targeted marketing and certification visibility will be essential in expanding consumer awareness.

Supply chain challenges and potential higher costs for Fairtrade-certified spices could limit market growth. This is especially if inflation and economic uncertainty continue.

2. Which European markets offer the most opportunities for spices and herbs?

The main European markets for spices and herbs providing opportunities for exporters from developing countries are the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland and France. These markets combine certain characteristics, mainly sizeable imports of spices and herbs from developing countries, total market size, and relevance of organic or Fairtrade market segments. 

Source: GloballyCool based on UNComtrade, September 2025

Each region has different supply profiles

You can group European countries into roughly four different regions: Western, Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe. Each region has a different profile if you look at their supplying regions. The most important characteristics and differences are: 

• Western Europe accounts for over 40% of Europe’s spices and herbs imports from developing countries. Sourcing is relatively diversified across pepper, chillies and paprika, ginger and miscellaneous seeds. Main suppliers are from Asia: Vietnam (chillies, pepper), India (curcuma, cumin), China (chillies, ginger). Other main suppliers are Brazil (pepper), Madagascar (vanilla, cloves and cinnamon) and Egypt (herbs and seeds spices). 
• Southern Europe is the 2^nd-largest importing region (122 thousand tonnes) that heavily relies on China for chillies and paprika. Additional sourcing comes from India and Vietnam, plus smaller contributions from Zambia and Peru (chillies and paprika), Indonesia (nutmeg and cinnamon) and Madagascar (cinnamon, cloves, pepper). Overall, there is lower sourcing diversity compared to Western Europe.
• Northern Europe’s major imports come from India (diverse spices), Vietnam (pepper and cinnamon) and China (ginger and chillies). Imports are the most diversified of all regions.
• Eastern Europe is a relatively small importing region focussed on key staples like chillies (from China) and pepper (Vietnam). India stands out with a relatively large volume of curcuma, while close suppliers Turkey and Ukraine mainly supply seeds spices, including coriander.

Europe's largest destinations for spices and herbs

Source: GloballyCool based on UNComtrade, September 2025

Spain and Germany are the two largest destinations for spices and herbs from developing countries. The UK and the Netherlands follow, with import volumes that are more stable over time. France and Poland are smaller importers but with still considerable volumes, taking 5th and 6th position in terms of imports from developing countries. Buyers in these leading markets have a lot of experience in importing spices and herbs from developing countries. For that reason, you can best focus on these countries. 

Spain: Imports dominated by dried chillies/paprika from China

Spain remains Europe’s leading importer of spices and herbs from developing countries. 89% of its total imports (equal to 105,000 tonnes) are sourced from developing countries in 2024. Total imports (from within Europe as well as other developed countries) grew by 5.5% per year, from 95,000 tonnes in 2020 to 118,000 tonnes in 2024. Imports of vanilla (+24%); cardamoms (+22%); juniper berries and anise, badian, caraway or fennel seeds (+13%); mace (+12%); spice mixtures (+11%) and curcuma (+11%) showed strong growth.

Table 3: Most important developing countries supplying Spain

Source: GloballyCool based on UN Comtrade, September 2025

Spain imports mostly dried chillies and paprika (81,300 tonnes) for paprika production. Pimentón, often also known as ‘Spanish paprika’, is used as colouring and flavouring agents, for example in food preparations. It is also Europe’s leading market for saffron, though saffron volumes remain very small at about 100 tonnes yearly. The Spanish market for chillies and paprika is highly concentrated. A large share comes from China, while other spices are more diversified among smaller origins. Paprika and saffron are key ingredients in Spain's main rice dish, paella, and many other culturally important recipes. 

Several imports from developing countries show consistent or near-consistent growth over 2020-2024. Consistent growth is observed for curcuma from Peru, increasing from 0.2 to 0.6 thousand tonnes, and ginger from Peru, from 0.4 to 0.5 thousand tonnes. Near-consistent growth was evident for chillies and paprika from Zambia (up from 0.2 to 8.3 thousand tonnes) and from India (0.9 to 1.6 thousand tonnes), and miscellaneous seeds from Egypt (0.6 to 1.5 thousand tonnes). Pepper from Vietnam also grew near-consistently (2.8 to 3.7 thousand tonnes), as did cinnamon from Madagascar (0.4 to 0.8 thousand tonnes).

Spain's leading destinations for spices and herbs exports (mainly dried chillies and paprika) are the United Kingdom, Germany, France and the Netherlands. There are around 110 companies in Spain specialised in trading and manufacturing spices. The country has a very dynamic food industry, focused on formulations for food products, seasonings and spices.

With 1,000 tonnes of organic-certified imports in 2024, Spain is a small market for organic-certified spices and herbs (share of 1% of total imports in 2024). One example of a Spanish organic-certified spice importer is Sabatër.

Germany: Largest market for organic spices in Europe

Germany imported 114,000 tonnes of spices and herbs in 2024, with 71% from developing countries. Germany’s imports peaked in 2021, declining in 2022 and 2023. Despite a strong recovery in 2024 (+20%), the average 2020-2024 annual development reached ‑2.2% for developing country imports. Imports of vanilla (+12%) and saffron (+11%) from developing countries grew fastest in 2020-2024.

Table 4: Most important developing countries supplying Germany

Source: GloballyCool based on UN Comtrade, September 2025

Germany’s imports are diversified across products and origins, though pepper imports are dominated by Vietnam and chillies and paprika imports by China.

Imports with consistent growth include spice mixtures from Turkey (from 0.1 to 0.4 thousand tonnes). Near-consistent growth is seen for cinnamon from Vietnam (0.9 to 1.1 thousand tonnes), cumin from India (0.8 to 2.0 thousand tonnes) and ginger from China (1.2 to 1.4 thousand tonnes).

Germany is a hub that re-exports spice mixes, miscellaneous spices and herbs, ginger, pepper, chillies and paprika mainly to the Netherlands, followed by many neighbouring countries: Austria, Poland, France, Hungary and Belgium. The country also imports considerable volumes of spices and herbs from Spain (chillies/paprika), the Netherlands (spice mixtures) and Poland. Most of the trade goes through the Port of Hamburg, which has world-class facilities for the transport and storage of spices. 

Among the leading importers are large spice companies that are involved in grinding, packing and other processing. They include Fuchs, Husarich, AKO The Spice Company, Hamburger Gewürz-Mühle and ENES Gewürze. These companies have a strong presence in the German market and often import spices directly from developing countries.

Germany is also home to production units of large general food-processing companies, like Nestlé, Kraft Foods and Hela. Although they may import from developing countries directly in certain cases, they mainly buy from dedicated spices and herbs traders. 

Germany and Switzerland are Europe's leading markets for organic-certified spices. Germany imported 6,900 tonnes of organic certified spices in 2024, representing the highest share in total imports (8.5%) of all countries. Organic spices and herbs are sold mostly in organic retail chains like Biomarkt, DM and Alnatura. They are mainly sold in standalone form but can also be found as ingredients in organic-certified spice mixes and prepared food products. The latter is the largest market.

Within Europe, Germany is a large market for Fairtrade products too. But Fairtrade-certified spices are less commonly available than in Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Weltpartner is a key importer of Fairtrade products in Germany and sells several spices and herbs. Other companies trading Fairtrade-certified spices and herbs include KarmaKollektiv GMBH and Soul Spice. 

The United Kingdom: Strong preference for spices from India

The UK imported 77,000 tonnes in 2024, with 77% of that volume coming from developing countries. Imports from the EU have gone down and mostly relate to chillies and paprika imports from Spain. This reflects Brexit-related trade shifts. Imports of nutmeg (+18%), ginger (+16%), cloves (+15%), mace (+8.4%), vanilla (+7.3%), chillies and paprika (+7.1%), and pepper (+7.1%) rose significantly.

Table 5: Most important developing countries supplying the United Kingdom

Source: GloballyCool based on UN Comtrade, September 2025

India remains the UK’s largest supplier. The UK has diverse sourcing across origins. But single-product dominance is visible: most chillies/paprika come from China. Chillies/paprika from China also showed consistent growth over 2020-2024 (from 1.5 to 2.8 thousand tonnes). Pepper from Brazil (from low to 0.8 thousand tonnes) and spice mixtures from Pakistan (from 0.5 to 1.2 thousand tonnes) also grow consistently. 

Near-consistent growth is seen for chillies and paprika from India (4.5 to 5.2 thousand tonnes), pepper from Vietnam (5.5 to 7.0 thousand tonnes), ginger from China (1.9 to 5.2 thousand tonnes), coriander from Ukraine (from low to 0.9 thousand tonnes) and nutmeg from Indonesia (0.1 to 0.4 thousand tonnes).

The United Kingdom is the largest European market for Fairtrade-certified products. This offers opportunities for Fairtrade-certified spices and herbs exporters. Importers of Fairtrade-certified spices and herbs in the United Kingdom include British Pepper and Spice Company Limited, Cotswold and Steenbergs. While the first two companies trade in conventional products and limited volumes of organic and Fairtrade spices, Steenbergs specialises in organic and Fairtrade-certified spices. 

The Netherlands: European spice trade hub

The Netherlands imported 71,000 tonnes of spices and herbs in 2024, with only 53% coming from developing countries. The Netherlands acts as a hub for imports from outside and inside Europe, and has a well-diversified product-origin mix. Imports of spice mixtures (+35%), vanilla (+25%), cloves (+25%), pepper (+8.5%) and cumin (+7.0%) from developing countries recorded notable growth over 2020-2024.

Table 6: Most important developing countries supplying the Netherlands

Source: GloballyCool based on UN Comtrade, September 2025

The Dutch market shows more balanced distribution across products than Spain or the United Kingdom, though chillies remain concentrated from China. Consistent growth is observed for pepper from Brazil (from 1.3 to 2.2 thousand tonnes) and from China (from low to 0.5 thousand tonnes), and chillies and paprika from Mexico (from 0.5 to 1.0 thousand tonnes). Conversely, Indonesian whole cinnamon experienced the sharpest decline, dropping from 3.5 thousand tonnes in 2020 to just 500 tonnes in 2024. This also explains Indonesia’s strong decline (‑13.6%) in exports to the Netherlands. 

Near-consistent growth is visible for cinnamon from Vietnam (from 0.7 to 1.4 thousand tonnes), cumin from India (0.7 to 1.8 thousand tonnes), other spices from Turkey and India (0.5-1.0 to 1.2 thousand tonnes), nutmeg from Indonesia (0.7 to 0.8 thousand tonnes), and spice mixtures from India (0.4 to 1.3 thousand tonnes). 

The Netherlands has a relatively small domestic market but it is an important European trade hub. It re-exports large quantities of spices and herbs, in particular spice mixes but all other spices and herbs as well. The volumes are also more diversified than exports of Spain or Germany. Its main European re-export destinations are Belgium, Germany and Spain. At the same time, a considerable share of imports comes from other European countries, predominantly Germany (spices mixes), Spain (chillies/paprika), Poland (spice mixes) and Belgium. 

Several Dutch importers and/or brokers are pure spice specialists, such as Nedspice, VanDerDoes Spicebrokers, Keyzer & Company (focused on Latin America), SpiceRouteSourcing, SpiceMasters, Solina/Jadico and the small trader H.J. Albring. Others focus on imports of a single spice for a certain segment, such as Royal Polak with cinnamon for the bakery industry. There are also companies that trade in a wider range of ingredients. For example Catz also trades in nuts, DeMolukken in grains and pulses and Dutch Organics and Vehgro have a range of organic products.

Silvo (part of the McCormick group), Euroma and Verstegen are among the top players in the Dutch retail market for spices and herbs. These companies also import directly from developing country suppliers.

The Dutch Spice Association strongly supports sustainable sourcing through the Sustainable Spice Initiative (SSI). The participating companies (mainly large spice companies in and outside Europe) all aim to grow the share of sustainably sourced products. The initiative recognises a basket of sustainability standards as meeting the minimum social, environmental and economic criteria to be considered sustainable. Most of its activities take place in India and other Asian countries, like Vietnam. Until now the project has mostly focused on pepper. 

Figure 6: SSI Basket of sustainability standards, December 2024

Source: Sustainable Spice Initiative (SSI) (December 2024)

The Netherlands is the 3rd-largest market for organic-certified spices and herbs in the EU27, with 2,800 tonnes in 2024. The share of total imports was 7.1%, but organic imports have been under pressure (CAGR ‑5.1%) because of declining organic food sales. The Netherlands is the largest importer of organic curcuma (2,000 tonnes, note that this flow includes fresh curcuma) and cumin (107 tonnes in 2024).

Most organic spices and herbs are used by the food and drinks processing industries. Only a small portion goes to consumer packaging for the food retail market and even less to the food service sector. Most organic spices and herbs in consumer packaging are sold in organic retail chains, such as Odin and Ekoplaza. They are mostly sold as a standalone spice, but can also be found as ingredients in organic-certified spice mixes. Although volumes are still small, the growth is higher than that of the conventional spices and herbs market. 

France: Europe’s vanilla and growth hub

France imported 49,000 tonnes of spices and herbs in 2024, with 59% from developing countries and roughly 40% from other European countries. Imports of vanilla (+53%), chillies and paprika (+33%), mace (+22%), other spices and herbs (+17%), nutmeg (+13%), cardamoms (+13%) and curcuma (+8.2%) from developing countries grew strongly between 2020 and 2024. 

France is Europe’s foremost growth hub, ahead of the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom: the country is leading in terms of successfully supplying countries in growing their exports of a single spice to a European market year-on-year; the total associated volume grew by more than 100% per year to 2.0 thousand tonnes in 2024. 

Table 7: Most important developing countries supplying France

Source: GloballyCool based on UN Comtrade, September 2025

France’s imports are less concentrated than Spain, with a mix of products from multiple origins. Madagascar dominates vanilla, influencing value but not volume. Since France dominates the global vanilla market, it is also a source of trends and innovations, such as organic and Fairtrade vanilla. Part of French imports go to other European markets, predominantly Belgium, and lower volumes to Italy, Portugal and Spain. Pepper and miscellaneous spices and herbs are the largest exported products.

Consistent import growth is recorded for chillies and paprika from China (from 0.3 to 1.3 thousand tonnes) and cumin from India (0.1 to 1.0 thousand tonnes). Near-consistent growth is observed for pepper from Vietnam (4.6 to 6.4 thousand tonnes) and from Indonesia (1.1 to 1.5 thousand tonnes), chillies and paprika from Tunisia and India (0.3-0.5 to 1.6 and 0.9 thousand tonnes), vanilla from Madagascar (0.3 to 1.8 thousand tonnes), curcuma from India (1.3 to 1.7 thousand tonnes), and other spices from India and Egypt (0.1-0.5 to 0.7 thousand tonnes).

Several European countries supply France with spices and herbs too. Spain exports chillies/paprika, pepper, spice mixes and miscellaneous spices to France and is its largest supplier. Other leading European suppliers are Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. 

The French market is characterised by the presence of several small and medium-scale trading companies. Some of these traders have specialised in vanilla, like Prova and Le Monde de la Vanille. Others trade spices at-large, like Ducros (an independent brand of spices and herbs for retail, owned by McCormick) and Cepasco (with retail brands Spigol and Epice Tout). Companies from other European countries also have a presence in the French retail market for spices and herbs, like Fuchs from Germany.

France is known for its large-scale retailers, called hypermarkets. These retailers sell considerable volumes under their own private labels, such as Carrefour (with Carrefour and Carrefour Bio), Leclerc (Rustica and eco) and Auchan (Auchan and Auchan bio). 

France is an important organic market. Organic spices and herbs imports reached 1,000 tonnes in 2024 (Source: Traces), equal to 3.5% of imports. As in most other large European markets, organic imports have been under pressure, reflected by the 3.1% annual decline. France dominates the import of whole vanilla (330 tonnes in 2024). 

The country is also among the top seven Fairtrade markets in Europe. Certified spices and herbs can be imported directly by France's certified importers. You can also import them through certified importers from Germany, Spain and the Netherlands. 

Poland: Largest market in Eastern Europe

Poland imported 39,000 tonnes in 2024, with 51% from developing countries. Poland’s import is growing steadily, particularly for cloves (+27%), mace (+18%), cumin (+15%), miscellaneous spices and herbs (+11%), cinnamon (+10%), coriander seeds (+9.8%), nutmeg (+8.9%), and juniper berries and anise, badian, caraway or fennel seeds (+7.8%) over 2020-2024. With 20 tonnes in 2024, the import of organic-certified spices and herbs is negligible. 

Table 8: Most important developing countries supplying Poland

Source: GloballyCool based on UN Comtrade, September 2025

Poland has a moderately diversified import portfolio. Some products are strongly dominated by one supplier, such as pepper from Vietnam. Near-consistent growth is evident for chillies and paprika from China (from 3.0 to 3.4 thousand tonnes), other spices from Turkey (0.6 to 1.0 thousand tonnes), cinnamon from Vietnam (0.2 to 0.9 thousand tonnes) and curcuma from India (0.9 to 1.2 thousand tonnes).

The Polish market for spices and herbs is mostly driven by the country’s role as a hub to produce seasonings, dressings and sauces. For example, Poland is home to production facilities of British AB World Foods, the parent company of, among others, Blue Dragon and Pataks. These are two leading European brands of Asian sauces and pastes. Poland also houses the production facilities of Kraft Heinz. Exports play a small role and are mostly spice mixtures to the Netherlands. They also export miscellaneous spices, herbs and mixtures to Germany and countries in Eastern Europe.

Within Europe, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands are Poland’s main supplying countries. Polish spice imports are carried out by Polish traders like Rolmex, TomPol and Grotex. Production facilities of German spice manufacturers in Poland, most notably AVO also handle some imports. 

3. Which products from developing countries have the most potential in the European market for spices and herbs?

This chapter shows six promising products to give an idea of the potential for spices and herbs in the European market. These products are dried chillies and paprika, pepper, juniper berries and anise, badian, caraway or fennel seeds, spice mixtures and vanilla. We chose these products based on European (EU27 plus the United Kingdom plus Switzerland) import volumes from developing countries. We also looked at a number of supplying countries with consistent and near-consistent growth in exports to Europe. This is combined with a review of market trends. 

Table 9: Top-6 spices and herbs imported by Europe from developing countries, import volume in thousand tonnes (2020-2024)

Source: GloballyCool based on UNComtrade, September 2025

The specific opportunities for your spices and herbs will highly depend on your supply capacities, including: 

• Volume;
• Quality;
• Pricing;
• Certification.

These aspects will define your target market and market segment. 

The number of supplying countries for certain spices and their quality levels may be too limited for certain European buyers. This can be a good opportunity for you, as these buyers could be open to new options that may help spread supply risks. Although several countries are important suppliers of spices and herbs, most individual countries supply only a limited range. 

Dried chillies and paprika

Capsicum (chilli and paprika) is a popular spice in European cuisine. The European market widely relies on imports, as capsicums grow best in warm, sunny climates. In 2024, direct imports of dried chillies and paprika from developing countries to Europe totalled 146,400 tonnes and grew by 5.2% per year since 2020. The spice called ‘allspice’ also belongs to this group of spices. The volume of organic-certified product is small, and is mostly dried paprika and chillies from China and dried paprika from Israel. 

Spain is by far Europe's largest import and processing hub of dried chillies and paprika. It generally accounts for more than half of total European imports. Spain’s import volumes grew by 6.8% per year, reaching a record high of 87,100 tonnes in 2024. Germany comes in second place (19,700 tonnes in 2024). Following this are United Kingdom (9,100 tonnes), France (4,900 tonnes), Poland (4,600 tonnes) and the Netherlands (4,000 tonnes).

The share of dried sweet whole chillies imports can be roughly estimated as follows: in Spain 1-5%, Germany 50-60%, the UK 25-35%, France 30-40%, Poland 15-25% and the Netherlands 3-8%. 

Table 10: Top developing countries supplying dried chillies and paprika to Europe in 2024

Source: GloballyCool based on UN Comtrade, September 2025

India is the world's largest producer of a wide variety of dried chillies. However, it is only Europe’s second-largest supplier. This is because the EU has tightened controls for pesticide presence for several capsicum varieties from India. This makes Europe a difficult market for Indian exporters of dried chillies. Currently, Europe imports most of its chillies from China. The market also offers interesting opportunities for smaller supplying countries. For example, Zambia has become Europe’s third-largest supplier within just a few years.

Pepper 

Pepper is one of the most important and widely consumed spices in Europe. It is an important ingredient in many dishes. The popularity of pepper does not decrease over time. Its specific characteristics make it impossible to find a good substitute. European consumers are also used to the taste of pepper. It has been a important ingredient in European cuisine for centuries. In 2024, Europe imported 88,200 tonnes of pepper directly from developing countries. This is just below the period’s record volume of 89,100 tonnes in 2021.

Figure 7: Black pepper before harvesting, Vietnam

Source: GloballyCool, August 2024

Germany is the leading importer (26,400 tonnes in 2024, 30% of European imports), followed by the United Kingdom (10,500 tonnes, 12%), the Netherlands and France (both 10,100 tonnes, 11%). Countries like Poland (7,000 tonnes), Spain (4,700 tonnes), Austria (3,400 tonnes) and Italy (2,800 tonnes) also import substantial volumes.

Table 11: Top developing countries supplying pepper to Europe in 2024

Source: GloballyCool based on UN Comtrade, September 2025

Sustainability has become increasingly important. Several pepper suppliers in developing countries are members of IDH’s Sustainable Spice Initiative. Nedspice, a large international producer of spices from the Netherlands, has partnered with them to helps farmers improve their farming practices sustainably. By 2021, more than 2,300 farmers were involved in their Farmers Partnership Programme for the production of sustainable black pepper in Vietnam (Europe’s leading pepper supplier). More than 500 were Rainforest Alliance-certified. 

More than 7 developing countries supply over 50 tonnes of organic-certified black pepper to the EU27 in 2024. The largest supplying country is Sri Lanka (540 tonnes in 2024), followed by Vietnam (280 tonnes), Indonesia (110 tonnes) and Tanzania (100 tonnes). While supplies from Sri Lanka declined, those of the other supplying countries rose. 

Pepper is the most common spice in Europe. This also makes it the spice for which organic-certified products are more easily available. Several mainstream supermarkets in Western Europe sell one or more types of organic‑certified pepper, like Albert Heijn from the Netherlands. Overall, the best opportunities for organic-certified pepper are in Western Europe, mostly in Germany, France and the Netherlands. The most important Fairtrade markets are the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Germany. 

Juniper berries and seeds of anise, badian and caraway

Juniper berries are an aromatic spice. They are mainly used in traditional European dishes such as stews, roasts, sauerkraut and sauces. They are also used to flavour spirits like gin. Despite their name, juniper berries are actually the female seed cones of the coniferous juniper tree. The juniper tree grows in Northern Europe and alpine regions. This makes juniper berries one of the few spices that grow in cold areas. They are mainly imported as whole berries, neither crushed nor ground.

Import data for juniper berries also include anise, badian and caraway seeds. Their total volume is larger than that of juniper berries. In 2024, Europe imported 15,800 tonnes of these spices. Germany is Europe’s leading importer by far, accounting for around 35-40% of total imports (5,800 tonnes in 2024). The United Kingdom and Spain followed, with 14% and 13% of the import market each in 2024 (2,200 and 2,100 tonnes, respectively).

Table 13: Top developing countries supplying juniper berries and anise, badian and caraway seeds to Europe in 2024

Source: GloballyCool based on UN Comtrade, September 2025

Egypt is Europe’s leading supplier of this product category, mainly due to exports of anise and caraway seeds. Egypt also dominated the supply of organic-certified products (160 tonnes in 2024). Turkey is among the world’s leading producers of juniper berries. North Macedonian juniper berries are known for their quality and high essential oil content. This makes the country a preferred supplier for companies like Verstegen in the Netherlands.

Spice mixes

Spice mixes (HS code 091091) from origin countries have become popular in European markets, especially in the ethnic food retail segment. This includes Indian curry powders. Statistics show that European imports of spice mixes (crushed/ground) from developing countries reached 11,500 tonnes in 2024. They were higher than the previous all-time high set in 2020 (11,100 thousand tonnes). India and Pakistan dominate the supply with a range of curry powders. Almost all of the imported spice mixes are conventional products. 

Table 14: Top developing countries supplying spice mixes to Europe in 2024

Source: GloballyCool based on UN Comtrade, September 2025

The largest market in Europe is the United Kingdom, importing 4,500 tonnes – 40% of Europe’s total. Germany is second (19%, 2,200 tonnes), ahead of the Netherlands (1,900 tonnes, 16%). Most of the supply comes from Asia and the Middle East, except for 196 tonnes of pimento-based spice mixes from Jamaica and 153 tonnes from Serbia. For the next few years, particularly good opportunities lie in exotic spice mixes that are unknown to European customers. 

Figure 8: Allspice-based jerk seasoning from Jamaica

Source: GloballyCool, July 2025

Vanilla

Vanilla is probably the world’s most popular flavour. It is an important flavour in the production of ice cream, bakery products, chocolate products and drinks. While there is also artificial vanilla in the market, the demand for natural vanilla is likely to grow faster. There is strong growing demand for natural ingredients and clean labels. Demand exceeds the current supply. This leaves room for new companies in the supplying countries to enter the market.

The supply of vanilla to the European market is highly concentrated. Madagascar supplies 85-90% of all vanilla imported by European countries. 

Table 15: Top developing countries supplying vanilla to Europe in 2024

Source: GloballyCool based on UN Comtrade, September 2025

France dominates European imports. In 2024, the country imported almost 2.0 thousand tonnes of vanilla from developing countries, 330 tonnes of it organic-certified. Germany imported 468 tonnes, the Netherlands 303 tonnes, the United Kingdom 106 tonnes and Switzerland 82 tonnes. Vanilla imported to Europe is used widely in production of food ingredients (like flavours) and in end food products. Another relatively small portion is sold as spice (whole and ground) in consumer packages. 

Unlike most other spices, vanilla is a very high-value spice. This makes it very suitable for online sales. For example, the Dutch online web shop for B2C and B2B sales of bakery supplies Baktotaal has 65 vanilla-based products in its assortment, up from 49 in 2023. 

Organic and sustainably sourced vanilla are mostly found in organic supermarkets in Europe like Bio c’ Bon (France), Alnatura and Biomarkt (Germany), Ekoplaza and Odin (Netherlands), and PlanetOrganic (UK). Organic-certified and Fairtrade-certified products can be likewise found (also as private-label products) in mainstream supermarkets in the United Kingdom (Waitrose and Sainsbury’s) and Switzerland (Coop and Migros). 

Miscellaneous spices and herbs

Miscellaneous spices and herbs offer opportunities for exporters from many different developing countries. Some of the products traded under the HS code 091099 are specified and have their own 8-digit code: thyme, fenugreek seed and bay leaves. Others are combined in two codes (crushed and whole) and include oregano, rosemary, sage, marjoram and curry leaves. Turkey (bay leaves and other herbs), India (fenugreek and herbs) and Egypt (herbs) dominate the supply to Europe. Egypt dominates supply of organic-certified products to Europe, with 680 tonnes in 2024 (over 80% of the total) and above-average growth exceeding 8% per year. 

Table 12: Top developing countries supplying miscellaneous bases and to Europe in 2024

Source: GloballyCool based on UN Comtrade, September 2025

In 2024, direct imports of these spices and herbs from developing countries to Europe totalled 29,900 tonnes, up by 3.7% per year. The United Kingdom (7,400 tonnes), Germany (5,700 tonnes) and the Netherlands (3,300 tonnes) are the top-3 destinations, accounting for a combined share of 55% of European imports. Smaller markets include France (2,800 tonnes), Poland (2,500 tonnes) and Spain (1,300 tonnes).

The relatively low share of the top-3 markets (55%) indicates a low concentration of markets for these products in Europe. Further, several supplying countries grew their exports to the 30 European markets almost every year. 

GloballyCool carried out this study on behalf of CBI.

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