India is a major supplier and the US is India's single largest market. Of the Rs 1225 crore exports of spices last year, Rs 425 crore were to the US. India is ahead of its competitors in the export of black pepper, turmeric, cumin and fennel. Gautemala is the leading supplier of cardamom, Costa Rica of ginger and China of garlic to the US.

However, the Spices Borad has found that besides retaining its traditional upper hand, India can go a long way in exporting value-added spices and spice oils, oleoresins, mint oil and natural vanilla extract derived from Cambridge to the US.

In 1997, India supplied 23,403 tonnes, of black pepper to the US. It was 52 per cent of the 45,319 tonnes it imported that year. Indonesia had 30per cent share and Brazil 10 per cent. Of late India has emerged as a leading supplier of ground pepper with a market share of 44 per cent.

India is ahead of Mexico and China in supplying chillies and capsicum to the Americans who consumed 19, 122 tonnes in 1997. India provided 9,365 tonnes while Mexico supplied 4,400 tonnes, China 1700 tonnes and Chile 1200-1400 tonnes.

But India is behind Costa Rica and Brazil in supplying whole ginger, both dry and fresh to the US. Of the 13,448 tonnes of ginger the US imported, 3605 tonnes were from Costa Rica, 2,828 tonnes from Brazil and 1,792 tonnes from India. Chinese supplies were less than 300 tonnes. India, however, tops in the ground dry ginger market with supplies of 75 per cent of the 400-550 tonnes.

Almost 95 per cent of the 2043 tonnes turmeric bought by the US in 1997 was from India. China is totally absent while Thailand is in the market with less than 10 tonnes.

Spices Board considers the turmeric market a potential export growth area. India canvirtually monopolist the market with its `Alleppey finger' variety of turmeric, if supplied in accordance with the US standard of quality.

US imported 6,560 tonnes of cumin seeds in 1997. India supplied 2024 tonnes (31 per cent) against just 402 tonnes in the previous year. Turkey had a 30 per cent market share followed by Pakistan and Syria.

The Americans got almost 84 per cent of the 3100 tonnes of coriander seeds in 1997 from Canada. India had an eight per cent share followed by Bulgaria, five per cent.

Replacing Egypt, India took the top slot in the fennel seeds market in the US, by exporting 55 per cent of the 3418 tonnes of fennel seeds that country imported in 1997. In 1996, Egypt had 75 per cent market share.

For the queen of spices, cardamom, India has only four per cent share in the over 300 tonnes US market. The market leader is Gautemala. Similarly China has a virtual monopoly of 5800 tonnes US market for garlic.

The US imports close to 900 tonnes of curry powder. The UK supplies 30 percent, India 27 per cent and Thailand 20 per cent.

Vanilla beans are a potential product which is now dominated by Madagascar with 65 per cent supplies of 2200 tonnes the US imported in 1997. Indonesia had 28 per cent share.

India is the leading supplier of spice oils and oleoresins, 68 per cent of 1160 tonnes it imported in 1997.

The US consumption of spices are on the increase especially with the growing demand for natural flavouring, colouring and fragrance materials.