The Hindu Business Line : US spices up imports

The import of spices, including black and white pepper, by the US has increased by 6.4 per cent to 3,10,874 tonnes in 2005 from 292,074 tonnes in 2004.

Spice imports have increased by over 20 per cent since 2000, when total imports of spices into the US stood at 2,57,969 tonnes. On average, total imports of spices into US have been growing by 3.82 per cent during 2000 - 2005, according to International Pepper Community sources.

Pepper imports

Black pepper recorded an increase of 2.41 per cent or 1,227 tonnes from 2004, with 52,152 tonnes imported in 2005. This is an increase of almost 20 per cent since the year 2000. White pepper imports have remained constant over the same period in 2005. White pepper imports were 7,248 tonnes, marginally lower than in 2004. In 2005, total pepper imports amounted to 59,400 tonnes, or 19 per cent of all imports of spices.

INDIAN TREND

Indian exports of total spices to the US also have been on the upward trend. Shipments of total spices, which were at 38,063.37 tonnes in 1998-99, have gone up to 45,526 tonnes in 2002-03. The increase in demand for spices in the US market would benefit the Indian spices, export sources said.

Shipments of value-added spices such as spice oils and oleoresins have been on the increase. However, exports of whole black pepper to the US have shown a declining trend.

VALUE ADDITION PAYS

The declining trend in India's exports of whole black pepper to the world's largest pepper market is attributed mainly to the high domestic demand, consequent to uncompetitive prices and stiff competition from other origins. However, the country had been able to raise its shipments of value-added pepper products to the US markets.

Vietnam was the largest supplier to the US market supplying around 20,226 tonnes of pepper or 30 per cent of the total US imports in 2005, the sources said.

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