How do I import spices from Sri Lanka?
Send the exporter the spice, form, quantity and destination port, and receive a quotation for the consignment. Check samples, agree the terms and confirm the order. The consignment is packed as agreed and ships by sea from the Port of Colombo or by air from Bandaranaike International Airport, with a phytosanitary certificate and your market's documents.
The steps with Harvest Gate
Harvest Gate is an agricultural exporter based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Buying from it takes these steps:
- Send an enquiry: the product, form, quantity and destination port, through Request a Quote, by email or on WhatsApp.
- Receive a quotation for the consignment: product, form, grade, quantity, packing and destination, plus freight.
- Check samples before you order: request samples with your delivery address.
- Confirm the order: the consignment is packed for export in the packing agreed in the quotation.
- Documents: a phytosanitary certificate travels with every consignment, with the certificate of origin, packing list and commercial invoice your market requires.
- Shipping: by sea from the Port of Colombo or by air from Bandaranaike International Airport.
What documents are needed to import food from Sri Lanka?
Each consignment of spices or fresh produce ships with a phytosanitary certificate issued for that consignment, with a certificate of origin, a packing list and a commercial invoice. The importing market may ask for more. Its own rules set the checks at the border: for Great Britain, the United Kingdom page sets out the pre-notification and the checks. Tell us the destination and the quotation lists the documents for your market.
How long does shipping from Sri Lanka take?
It depends on the route, the port or airport and whether the goods go by sea or by air, so ask for the transit time for your consignment when you request a quote. Fresh produce usually goes by air from Bandaranaike International Airport; spices and dried products can go by sea from the Port of Colombo. The guide to Incoterms for perishables explains who books and pays for each leg.
What payment terms do Sri Lankan exporters accept?
Payment terms are agreed between the buyer and the exporter in the sales contract; Incoterms do not set them, nor when ownership of the goods passes (ITA). With Harvest Gate, the payment terms for a consignment are confirmed with its quotation, alongside the minimum order.
More on importing
Guides to importing from Sri Lanka
Terms, documents and the rules of each market.
Incoterms for perishables
Incoterms for Sri Lanka exports: FOB vs CIF, CIF meaning and which terms suit perishable air freight and sea freight. Explained for importers.
Buyer questions
Questions importers ask
Quick answers for buyers importing spices and fresh produce from Sri Lanka. Not answered here? Send the question with your enquiry.
Request samples01How to import food?
From Sri Lanka, the same way as spices: agree the product, quantity and destination with the exporter, receive a quotation, check samples and confirm the order. Fresh produce also has to meet your market's plant health rules, so check them for each product; the United Kingdom page shows what that means for Great Britain.
02How to import spices?
Send the spice, form, quantity and destination port through Request a Quote, check the quotation and a sample, then confirm the order. Each consignment ships with a phytosanitary certificate and the documents your market requires.
03Can I get samples before importing?
Yes. Request samples with your delivery address and the products you are interested in.
Sources
- ITA, the US International Trade Administration: Know your Incoterms (what Incoterms do not cover).
Request samples
Check the products before you import.
Tell us the products you are interested in and where to send the samples.