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Exporting onion (HS 0703) — the most policy-volatile export India has

Last reviewed 2026-10 · 4 sections

Onion is not a difficult product to ship. It is a difficult product to contract — because the policy environment around it can change faster than a shipment can be arranged.

Classification

  • 0703 10 covers onions and shallots, fresh or chilled. Dried onions — including whole, sliced or powdered — move to 0712, and prepared or preserved onions to chapter 20.
  • The fresh-versus-dried distinction changes the line, the logistics and the shelf-life regime entirely; a dehydrated product is a completely different export business.
  • There is no separate line for the varieties that dominate Indian trade — the commercial distinctions are size, colour and grade, not the tariff.

Why the policy risk is unlike anything else

India has repeatedly used export restrictions on onion — including outright prohibitions and minimum export prices — because the domestic price of onion is politically sensitive. Those measures have been imposed and withdrawn at short notice, sometimes within days.

Never contract an onion shipment on a cached policy position. Check the current notification from the trade authority before you commit to a price, a quantity or a shipment window — and build a contract that can survive a change, because a policy shift between signing and shipping is a realistic scenario in this product, not a tail risk.

Perishability, storage and the harvest calendar

  • Onion is stored, not merely harvested: the Indian crop is staggered across seasons, and quality after storage depends on curing and storage conditions. Transit and shelf life interact with the harvest calendar, not the calendar year.
  • Sprouting and rot are the physical failure modes; humidity and temperature in transit drive them. For long sea routes, the variety and the curing matter as much as the reefer setting.
  • Green and size specs are contractual and vary by destination — a consignment accepted by one buyer can be rejected by another on the same day.

Residues, documents and market reading

  • Destination pesticide residue limits and quarantine pest rules apply; onions are a sampled category at some borders.
  • Documents: commercial invoice, packing list, transport document, certificate of origin, phytosanitary certificate.
  • Onion trade data moves violently year to year because it follows the crop and the policy, not a trend. A year-on-year comparison is usually a comparison of two policy regimes, not of two markets — read it as a price-and-availability series, not as a demand signal.

Use the tools

Sources & further reading

APEDA DGFT — export policy notifications EU pesticides database (MRLs)

These guides summarise public material from the bodies named above. They are general information, not advice on a specific shipment, and they are not a substitute for a ruling from your customs authority or a qualified customs broker / consultant.

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