Black cardamom exporter to the USA
The US puts more of the compliance burden on the importer than any other market we ship to. Under the Foreign Supplier Verification Program the importer is legally responsible for verifying that their overseas supplier produces food to US standards — which means the documentation we hand you is not a courtesy, it is the evidence file you are required to hold.
Who regulates the import
Two separate obligations apply: prior notice of each shipment before it arrives, and the importer's ongoing FSVP verification of the foreign supplier.
FDA — official guidanceDocuments your customs broker will want
- 1Phytosanitary certificate issued by Nepal's Department of Agriculture
- 2Certificate of origin (FNCCI)
- 3Commercial invoice and packing list
- 4Bill of lading or air waybill
- 5Per-lot laboratory report covering aflatoxin and moisture
- 6FDA prior notice, filed before arrival
- 7FSVP records held by the US importer, evidencing supplier verification
Ports and transit
| Port | Code | Mode and transit |
|---|---|---|
| New York / Newark | USNYC | Sea · 30–38 days |
| Los Angeles / Long Beach | USLAX | Sea · 30–38 days |
| JFK | JFK | Air · 3–5 days from Kathmandu |
Regional guide transit: Sea freight · 30 – 38 days. Nepal is landlocked, so sea freight routes through an Indian transhipment port; air freight leaves Kathmandu direct.
HS code and duty treatment
Spices generally enter the US at low or zero duty; cardamom is a permitted food import subject to FDA oversight rather than a restricted good.
Confirm your HTSUS line and rate with your customs broker.
Who buys black cardamom in the USA
Spice importers and blenders, ethnic-grocery distributors serving South Asian and Middle Eastern communities, and private-label packers. FSVP makes documentation quality a purchasing criterion here in a way it is not everywhere, which suits a supplier that ships a per-lot report as standard.
How we ship to this market
We have not yet shipped a consignment to the USA. Everything above is the regulatory route your broker will follow and is checkable against the regulator; what we cannot claim yet is a clearance history on this lane.
What we can put in front of you today is a sample of the exact lot we would ship, with its laboratory report, and a proforma invoice priced to your port and Incoterm.
the USA — common questions
What is FSVP and what does it mean for buying from Nepal?
The Foreign Supplier Verification Program makes the US importer responsible for verifying that their foreign supplier produces food meeting US safety standards. In practice you need documented evidence about the supplier and the hazards controlled — which is why we ship a per-lot laboratory report, a phytosanitary certificate and a certificate of origin as standard rather than on request. Those documents are the raw material of your FSVP file.
Do you handle FDA prior notice?
Prior notice is filed by the importer or their broker before the shipment arrives, not by the exporter. We supply every document the filing needs — product description, HS code, quantity, origin, manufacturer details and shipment specifics — in time for you to file within the required window.
How long does shipping to the US take?
Sea freight runs 30–38 days from Kathmandu to the US east or west coast, routed through an Indian transhipment port because Nepal is landlocked. Air freight into JFK is 3–5 days and is how most buyers take a first trial lot before committing to container volumes.
Related: Quality and lab testing · Price per kg and landed cost · Grades and pack sizes