Cloves Market Data, Quality Standards and Trade

Editorial evidence reviewedReviewed 2026-09-10Release 2026-09-19-batch-230

Market value

$1B

Producing countries tracked

10

Grading systems

1

Active supply risks

6

Trade corridors

5

Latest reviewed evidence

The figures below are whole and ground dried-clove requirements from the current FAO/WHO Codex Standard for Dried Floral Parts: Cloves CXS 344-2021, amended 2025. FAOSTAT separately records dated national production, area and yield observations through 2024. These standards and historical aggregates are not current lot availability, a physical offer or a live delivered clove price.

Whole dried clove volatile oil minimum

17

millilitres per 100 grams on dry basis · CXS 344-2021, amended 2025

Whole dried clove moisture maximum

12

percent by mass · CXS 344-2021, amended 2025

Ground dried clove moisture maximum

10

percent by mass · CXS 344-2021, amended 2025

Whole and ground dried clove total ash maximum

7

percent by mass on dry basis · CXS 344-2021, amended 2025

Whole and ground dried clove acid-insoluble ash maximum

0.5

percent by mass on dry basis · CXS 344-2021, amended 2025

Whole dried clove headless-defect maximum

5

percent by mass · CXS 344-2021, amended 2025

Whole clove nails and ground cloves are separate products

Codex CXS 344-2021 defines dried cloves as the dried floral part of Syzygium aromaticum and recognizes whole and ground or powdered styles without added matter. Whole cloves preserve visible head, receptacle, sepal and defect evidence; grinding removes that visual identity and adds particle-size and adulteration concerns. Atlas retains the botanical name, style and processing history before comparing crop, quality, price or trade records.

Oil, moisture, ash and fibre are measured on named bases

The current Codex standard sets whole-clove moisture at a maximum of 12 percent and volatile oil at a minimum of 17 millilitres per 100 grams on a dry basis. Ground cloves use a 10 percent moisture maximum and 14 millilitres per 100 grams minimum volatile oil. Both styles use a 7 percent total-ash maximum, 0.5 percent acid-insoluble-ash maximum and 13 percent crude-fibre maximum. Atlas keeps style, dry-basis wording, sampling and analytical method attached to each result.

Headless, mother and khoker cloves are different defect classes

Codex defines a headless clove as the receptacle and sepals without the dome-shaped head, a mother clove as the fruit of the tree, and a khoker clove as a fermented defect associated with incomplete drying. The whole-product maximums are 5 percent headless, 6 percent mother and 5 percent khoker cloves by mass. Physical records should also retain mould, insect damage, live-insect findings, excreta, extraneous and foreign matter, sample size, inspection date and certificate context rather than collapsing all defects into one quality label.

Standards and dated crop statistics do not determine a delivered price

A Codex limit is a product-quality boundary, not current availability or price. FAOSTAT production, area and yield observations aggregate countries, harvests, varieties, styles and grades and retain official, estimated or imputed flags. A delivered clove price still requires a defined lot, current permitted physical evidence, origin and harvest, whole or ground style, analytical and defect results, quantity, currency, Incoterm, destination, delivery window, freight and information vintage. Atlas keeps the price unsupported when those fields are missing.

Questions procurement teams ask

Are whole and ground cloves interchangeable trade products?

No. Grinding changes moisture and volatile-oil limits, removes visible whole-clove defect evidence and introduces different identity and adulteration risks. The style and analysis must stay explicit.

What is the Codex volatile-oil minimum for whole dried cloves?

CXS 344-2021 sets a minimum of 17 millilitres per 100 grams on a dry basis for whole dried cloves. Ground cloves use a separate 14 millilitre minimum.

What are headless, mother and khoker cloves?

They are distinct whole-clove defect categories: a missing head, the tree's fruit rather than the floral nail, and a fermented incompletely dried clove respectively. Each must remain visible in inspection evidence.

Which fields make physical clove offers comparable?

Syzygium aromaticum identity, whole or ground style, cultivar where specified, origin and harvest, head integrity and defects, moisture, volatile oil, ash and fibre basis, mould and insect findings, microbiology and residues, treatment, crop and packing dates, lot, package, quantity, currency, Incoterm, destination, delivery window and evidence date.