Market evolution: Other spices mix (CN 0910) — 2015–2025

Introduction

This report analyses the evolution of the European Union's external trade in a broad category of spices under customs code 0910 (CN 0910) between 2015 and 2025. The product group encompasses a diverse range, including ginger, saffron, turmeric, thyme, bay leaves, curry, and other spices not elsewhere specified. Over the decade, the EU market for these spices has undergone significant structural changes, characterized by robust import growth, a widening trade deficit, and shifting sourcing patterns. The data reveals a market increasingly reliant on a diversified set of external suppliers, driven by persistent demand and notable price dynamics across different product segments.

A Decade of Surging Demand and a Widening Trade Deficit

The EU's trade in spices under CN 0910 has been marked by a pronounced divergence between import and export growth, leading to a substantial increase in the trade deficit. This section outlines the core trends in value, volume, and pricing that define the decade.

Import Value Nearly Doubled, Fueled by Volume Growth

Imports of CN 0910 into the EU grew from €280.8 million in 2015 to €507.7 million in 2025, an increase of 80.8% (General Overview). This growth was primarily volume-driven, with import quantities rising from 110,787 tonnes to 191,950 tonnes (+73.3%). In contrast, the average import price increased only moderately by 4.4%, from €2,534/t to €2,645/t, indicating that increased physical imports, rather than just price inflation, were the main driver of value growth.

Export Growth More Modest, Driven by Price Increases

EU exports of the same product group grew at a slower pace, from €179.8 million to €209.2 million (+16.4%). Notably, this growth occurred despite a decline in export volume from 38,743 tonnes to 31,436 tonnes (-18.9%). The increase in export value was entirely attributable to a significant 43.3% rise in export unit values, from €4,639/t to €6,648/t. This suggests a strategic shift in EU exports towards higher-value or more processed spice products.

The Trade Deficit Expanded Nearly Threefold

The combined effect of rapidly rising imports and relatively stagnant export volumes resulted in the EU's trade deficit for CN 0910 ballooning from -€101.0 million in 2015 to -€298.5 million in 2025 (General Overview). This near-tripling of the deficit underscores the EU's deepening role as a net importer and consumer of these spices on the global market.

Divergent Fortunes Within the Spice Basket: Ginger, Turmeric, and Saffron

The CN 0910 product group is heterogeneous, and its sub-components exhibit distinct trade patterns. Ginger (both whole and ground) dominates volumes, while turmeric and saffron show strikingly different trends in volume and value.

Ginger: The Volume King with Stable Prices

Ginger (codes 091011 & 091012) constitutes the bulk of trade by volume. Imports of whole ginger (091011) surged from 69,184 tonnes to 130,505 tonnes, solidifying its position as the most imported sub-product by quantity. Despite this volume explosion, its import price fluctuated without a clear upward trend, ending at €1,623/t in 2025 (Product Segment Breakdown). This points to a highly competitive and elastic global supply market for ginger.

Turmeric: Consistent Growth in Both Volume and Value

Turmeric (091030) demonstrated strong and consistent growth. Import volumes more than doubled from 8,947 tonnes to 20,666 tonnes. Unlike ginger, this volume growth was accompanied by a meaningful price increase, with import values rising from €2,020/t to €2,471/t. This combination resulted in a 182% increase in import value, from €18.1 million to €51.1 million, highlighting growing consumer and industrial demand for the product.

Saffron: A High-Value, Volatile Niche

Saffron (091020) operates in a different economic sphere. Import volumes are minimal (152 tonnes in 2025), but the product is extraordinarily high-value. The average import price reached €538,018/t in 2025. The market is characterized by significant volatility: import volumes crashed from 614 tonnes in 2016 to a low of 126 tonnes in 2024 before a slight recovery, while prices swung wildly, peaking at €564,379/t in 2024 (Product Segment Breakdown). This reflects saffron's nature as a niche, luxury product susceptible to climatic shocks and concentrated production.

Shifting Partnerships and Evolving Market Concentration

The geographic sources of the EU's spice imports have undergone a dramatic reconfiguration, with emerging suppliers gaining significant share while traditional partners have seen their roles diminish.

Emergence of New Major Suppliers: Brazil and Peru's Staggering Growth

The most striking development has been the explosive growth of Brazil and Peru as import sources. EU imports from Brazil skyrocketed from €8.0 million to €41.9 million (+422.9%), while imports from Peru grew from €12.9 million to €39.7 million (+207.8%) (General Overview). Their combined share in EU import value rose substantially, making them now the third and fourth largest suppliers, respectively.

Decline of the United Kingdom and Volatility from Nigeria

Conversely, imports from the United Kingdom fell from €33.6 million to €17.7 million (-47.4%), a decline likely influenced by the UK's exit from the EU Single Market. Nigeria, once a significant supplier (peaking at €20.5 million), saw its exports to the EU collapse to €2.8 million (-58.1%), indicating severe supply-side disruptions or loss of competitiveness. China remains the top supplier, growing 82.6% to €135.8 million, while India also expanded its share strongly (+130.9%).

Stable EU Export Partners with One Major Shift

EU exports are more geographically concentrated. The United Kingdom and the United States have remained the top two destinations, with values growing moderately. A dramatic exception is the trade with Curaçao, which evaporated from €7.1 million to under €100,000, likely due to a reclassification or change in trade flows rather than a true market collapse (General Overview).

EU Internal Market Structure: The Netherlands as the Central Hub

Within the EU, the Netherlands acts as the dominant import gateway, responsible for €220.9 million (43.5% of total) of extra-EU imports in 2025, a 137.5% increase since 2015. Spain is the leading exporter, with its outbound shipments growing 55.7% to €70.7 million (Top Reporters by Value). Specialisation analysis confirms this division of labour: the Netherlands has a very high revealed comparative advantage (RCA) in importing and re-exporting, while Spain specialises in exporting spices to non-EU partners (Market Structure).

Import Supply Base Became Slightly More Diversified

The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) for imports by value decreased from 1,459 to 1,287, indicating a slight reduction in concentration and a move towards a more diversified supplier base. This aligns with the rise of Brazil and Peru, which reduced the relative dominance of the traditional top suppliers. Export concentration remained low and stable (HHI around 887), reflecting a broad set of customer countries (Market Structure).

Conclusion

The period 2015-2025 has seen the EU's market for CN 0910 spices transform into one characterized by strong, volume-led import growth and a structural trade deficit. Demand, particularly for ginger and turmeric, has driven imports to nearly double in value. The sourcing map has been redrawn, with Brazil and Peru emerging as major suppliers, while the UK's role diminished post-Brexit and Nigeria's exports collapsed.

EU exports, conversely, grew in value primarily through higher unit prices despite falling volumes, suggesting a focus on higher-margin products. The internal EU market consolidated around the Netherlands as the primary import hub and Spain as the key export powerhouse. While the import supply base became somewhat more diversified, the market remains exposed to volatility, as seen in the erratic price and volume swings for saffron and the significant price shocks detected in trade with Brazil and the United Kingdom. Looking ahead, the sustainability of this import-dependent model will hinge on stable supply chains and the EU's ability to continue adding value in its export-oriented processing segments.