Seeds ExporterEphedra (Ma Huang) Herb exporter — Pakistan origin
Dried ephedra (ma huang) stems, Ephedra sinica and related species, from Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan are exported by Kohenoor International under HS 121190 in 25 kg pressed bales. Ephedra is a regulated raw material; we supply licensed traditional-medicine manufacturers and importers in South Korea and Taiwan only, against a valid import licence.
Stems are collected September–November, dried, and sorted to remove roots and woody material. Alkaloid content is reported by a third-party laboratory on request.
Quick answer
Specification
Standard export specification for ephedra (ma huang) herb, as it appears on the pro forma invoice and the lot report. Custom specifications (higher purity, treated seed, different pack, private label) are quoted on request.
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Ephedra sinica |
| HS code | 121190 |
| Varieties / grades | Dried stems |
| Purity | Sorted |
| Germination | Not tested — edible / industrial grade |
| Form | Dried green stems, 2–4 mm diameter, cut or whole |
| Species | Ephedra sinica / E. intermedia / E. gerardiana, stated per lot |
| Moisture | 12% max |
| Foreign matter (roots, wood) | 2% max |
| Total alkaloids (as ephedrine) | Reported by third-party lab; pharmacopoeia minimum on request |
| Colour | Green to yellow-green |
| Total ash | 10% max |
| Bulk density | approx. 0.20 kg/litre baled |
| Heavy metals | Tested per lot |
| Packing | 25 kg pressed bales, PP wrapped |
| Lead time | 4–6 weeks after licence copy |
| Markets | South Korea, Taiwan (licensed importers only) |
| Packing | 25 kg bales |
| MOQ | 1 x 20ft |
| Origin | Pakistan (Sindh / Punjab unless stated) |
Varieties and grades
Dried stems. A single product: green herbaceous stems of Ephedra collected from wild stands in Balochistan and the northern mountains in autumn, dried in shade and sorted to remove roots, woody basal stems and foreign matter. The species (E. sinica, E. intermedia or E. gerardiana) is identified and stated per lot because pharmacopoeia monographs specify it. Licensed buyers choose the lot on the alkaloid assay: total alkaloids calculated as ephedrine, reported by a third-party laboratory, against the minimum in the Korean or Taiwanese herbal pharmacopoeia.
We do not supply extract, alkaloids or ephedra for dietary supplements, and we do not offer the herb to any market other than licensed importers in South Korea and Taiwan.
Uses by industry
Who buys ephedra (ma huang) herb from Pakistan and what they do with it.
- Licensed traditional-medicine manufacturers. Raw herb for decoction pieces and formulations under Korean and Taiwanese herbal pharmacopoeia monographs.
- Licensed herbal importers and wholesalers. Bulk bales for distribution to licensed hospitals and pharmacies in Korea and Taiwan.
- Not supplied. Dietary supplements, weight-loss products, extract or alkaloid manufacture, or any market where ephedra is prohibited (EU, US, Gulf, Australia).
Quality control and testing
Ephedra (Ma Huang) Herb ship on a certificate of analysis from our laboratory or an accredited third-party laboratory in Karachi. Depending on the buyer's use the COA covers moisture, foreign matter, colour, particle or piece size, heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury), microbiology and, where relevant, the marker compound the buyer prices on. Product is sorted by hand or on screens and, for some grades, Sortex, then held in sealed lined packs in a dark, dry store until loading.
Sampling: composite from at least 10 packs, 1 kg sealed reference kept for 12 months, lot number on the COA, packing list and every pack. An MSDS accompanies every shipment and HACCP procedures cover drying, sorting and packing.
Ephedra is released on a COA covering species identification, moisture, foreign matter, total ash and total alkaloids as ephedrine by HPLC at a third-party laboratory, plus heavy metals and, on request, microbiology and a pesticide screen. Stems are shade-dried, hand-sorted and pressed into bales under HACCP; lot numbers on bales, COA and invoice carry the importer's licence reference. Documents are issued only after the licence copy is on file.
How to verify on arrival. Composite-sample at least 10 packs, seal it, and test within 14 days at your own laboratory using the methods named on the COA. Moisture and foreign matter are checked first; heavy metals and microbiology are compared against the COA method limits. Discrepancies reported within 30 days are re-tested on the retained reference sample.
Packing, loading and shipping
Standard packing for ephedra (ma huang) herb is 25 kg bales, in pressed bales wrapped in PP. Each pack is printed or labelled with product, variety or grade, lot number, net weight, origin (Pakistan), exporter and any text the importing country's labelling rules require, and closed with a sewn tear-off tag. Private-label printing is available with artwork two weeks before loading.
A 20ft container carries about 10 MT (about 400 x 25 kg per 20ft) loose-stacked on a kraft-paper floor in a brick pattern with a cardboard door wall; a 40ft carries about 18–20 MT (40ft HC). Palletised loads on ISPM 15 heat-treated pallets take roughly 10% less and are used for Europe, East Asia, North America and Australia where the container is unloaded by forklift. Desiccant bags are added for humid destinations on request. Every stuffing is photographed from empty box to applied seal and the photos go to the buyer the same day with the packing list. Full figures for every product are in the container loading guide.
Storage and shelf life. Dried stems keep 24 months in bales in a dry, dark, ventilated store; alkaloid content is stable if moisture stays below 12% and the herb is kept out of light. Keep bales off the floor.
| Container | Net cargo | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 20ft standard | 10 MT | about 400 x 25 kg per 20ft; loose on kraft-paper floor |
| 40ft / 40ft HC | 18–20 MT (40ft HC) | Weight-limited on dense seed; volume-limited on light seed |
| Palletised (any size) | ≈ 10% less | ISPM 15 pallets, shrink-wrapped and strapped |
| LCL / air | No; licensed buyers, 20ft | Higher per-kg rate; used for trial lots |
Documents and import compliance
Every container of ephedra (ma huang) herb leaves with the phytosanitary certificate from the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) Karachi carrying the importer's additional-declaration wording, a certificate of origin from the Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce, the certificate of analysis and MSDS, commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading, plus a fumigation certificate and pre-shipment inspection report where the destination requires them. The table lists what the main destinations for this product ask for; the documents guide explains each certificate and the import guide shows the sequence.
| Country | Authority | Documents required | Transit from Karachi |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | APQA | Phytosanitary certificate; Certificate of origin; Import declaration; commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading | 20–25 days sea |
| Taiwan | BAPHIQ | Phytosanitary certificate; Certificate of origin; commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading | 18–22 days sea |
HS classification. Dried ephedra stems are HS 1211.90 (plants and parts of plants used primarily in pharmacy). Ephedra is a controlled or prohibited substance for supplement use in the EU, the US (FDA ban on ephedrine-alkaloid supplements), the Gulf and Australia, and its alkaloids are precursor-listed; we do not offer it to those markets. South Korea (MFDS) and Taiwan (TFDA) permit import by licensed herbal-medicine importers only, and the licence number appears on the invoice and packing list.
Before a pro forma invoice is issued we require a copy of the importer's herbal-medicine import licence and confirmation of the pharmacopoeia standard the lot must meet. Shipments are consigned only to the licensed entity and never to a third party.
Season, new crop and availability
Collected September–November; dried bales ship from November. Stock is limited and allocated to licensed buyers in order of confirmed contracts, so importers who need a full season's volume should send the licence copy and contract by August. Lead time is 4–6 weeks after the licence copy because species identification and the alkaloid assay are done per lot before documents are issued.
Prior-season stock is available through the year with its current assay.
The availability calendar shows every product month by month, and prior-crop lots are always described as such on the pro forma.
Price factors and how to get today's rate
Kohenoor does not publish a price for ephedra (ma huang) herb because a price is only meaningful for a specific lot, grade, pack, quantity and date. A firm FOB Karachi or CIF quote in USD per kg or per MT comes back within 24 hours of an enquiry and is held for 7–14 days. What moves the number, in order of size:
- Crop year and timing. Pre-harvest bookings are fixed and usually lowest; spot prices rise in a short crop or when prior-crop stock runs down before new crop. Difference between the two can be 15–20%.
- Grade and purity. Price follows the alkaloid assay and the species: lots meeting the pharmacopoeia minimum for the buyer's market are priced above general lots. The third-party assay, heavy-metal test and any pesticide screen are itemised. There is no LCL option.
- Packing. 25 kg loose bags are the base; 50 kg is slightly cheaper per kg; 10 kg, cartons, private label and palletising add 2–8%.
- Quantity. Each additional container in one contract is priced 2–5% lower; LCL lots cost 20–40% more per kg because inspection, documents and handling are the same for 2 MT as for 20 MT.
- Incoterm. FOB Karachi is the base; CIF adds freight and insurance at the current line rate for your port; road delivery to Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asia is priced per truck.
- Tests and treatment. Third-party COA, residue or aflatoxin panels, SGS inspection, fumigation and seed treatment are itemised at cost.
Samples. 200 g to 1 kg from the offered lot is free against courier charges (typically USD 40–90) and goes out with the current report. Larger trial lots are invoiced at the container rate. The full logic, MOQ table and sample policy are on seed prices and MOQ.
How this compares
Licensed herbal importers in Korea and Taiwan who buy ephedra from Pakistan also buy licorice root and sea buckthorn; the table compares the three on regulation and logistics.
| Criterion | Ephedra (Ma Huang) Herb | <a href="/products/licorice/">Licorice Root</a> | <a href="/products/sea-buckthorn/">Dried Sea Buckthorn Berries</a> |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regulatory status | Licensed importers only (KR, TW) | Unrestricted food / herbal | Unrestricted food |
| Form | Dried stems, baled | Whole root, cut, powder | Whole dried berries |
| Marker compound | Total alkaloids (ephedrine) | Glycyrrhizin | Vitamin C |
| MOQ | 1 x 20ft | 1 x 20ft (LCL 3 MT) | 200 kg |
| 20ft / 40ft HC | 10 / 18–20 MT | 12 / 22–24 MT | 6–8 / 14–16 MT |
| Harvest | Sep–Nov | Oct–Mar | Sep–Oct |
| HS | 121190 | 121120 | 081340 |
Markets served
Kohenoor has shipped ephedra (ma huang) herb to South Korea, Taiwan. Demand is confined to licensed traditional-medicine manufacturers and herbal importers in South Korea and Taiwan working under pharmacopoeia monographs. Each destination has its own permit and phytosanitary wording; the country pages under markets summarise them and we prepare the certificate to match before DPP inspection.
Specialist site and further reading
Detailed agronomy, variety trials and technical downloads for ephedra (ma huang) herb are published on our specialist site herbnseed.com. For pricing, MOQ and shipping use the quote form on this page; the lab and sorting line are described on the quality page, and all 28 lines are listed under products.
Frequently asked questions
Who can buy ephedra herb from Kohenoor?
Only importers holding a valid herbal-medicine import licence in South Korea (MFDS) or Taiwan (TFDA). A copy of the licence is required before we issue a pro forma invoice, and the shipment is consigned only to the licensed entity.
Which HS code applies to dried ephedra?
121190 (plants and parts of plants used in pharmacy). The phytosanitary certificate and packing list describe the goods as dried Ephedra stems with the species name.
Do you supply ephedra extract or alkaloids?
No. We export the dried crude herb only. Extraction is done by the licensed manufacturer in the importing country; alkaloids are precursor-listed and not traded by us.
How is ephedra packed and shipped?
In 25 kg pressed bales, about 10 MT in a 20ft container or 18–20 MT in a 40ft high-cube, by sea to Busan or Kaohsiung with the usual document set plus the importer's licence reference on the invoice.
Which Ephedra species do you supply?
Ephedra sinica, E. intermedia or E. gerardiana from Balochistan and the northern mountains, identified and stated per lot because pharmacopoeia monographs specify the species.
What alkaloid content do the stems have?
Total alkaloids calculated as ephedrine are measured by HPLC at a third-party laboratory per lot and reported against the Korean or Taiwanese pharmacopoeia minimum the buyer specifies. Values vary by species, season and stem age.
Can I buy ephedra for the EU, US or Gulf?
No. Ephedra is prohibited or controlled for supplement use in the EU, the US, the Gulf and Australia and we do not offer it to those markets under any description.
What is the lead time for ephedra?
4–6 weeks after we receive the licence copy, because species identification and the alkaloid assay are completed per lot before documents are issued, then 18–25 days sea transit to Busan or Kaohsiung.
Is there a smaller lot than a container?
No. Ephedra is supplied in full 20ft loads (about 10 MT) to licensed buyers only; the regulatory work per shipment is the same regardless of size.
How should ephedra be stored?
Bales off the floor in a dry, dark, ventilated store below 12% moisture; alkaloid content is stable for 24 months under these conditions.
Get today's FOB rate
Tell us the product, quantity and destination port. The export desk replies within 24 hours with price, MOQ, documents and transit time.
export@kohenoorint.com · +92 310 4929292 · Reply within 24 hours