Seeds ExporterHimalayan Pink Salt exporter — Pakistan origin
Himalayan pink salt from the Khewra mine in Punjab is exported by Kohenoor International under HS 250100 as fine, coarse, granules and blocks, 98% NaCl, in 25 kg, 50 kg and big bags. A 20ft container takes 25 MT. Main markets are the UK, US, Australia, Germany and France.
Food-grade salt is washed, crushed and screened to the buyer's mesh range; lamp and block grades are cut from selected pink-to-red seams. Heavy-metal analysis (lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium) is provided per lot.
Quick answer
Specification
Standard export specification for himalayan pink salt, 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 | Halite (Khewra) |
| HS code | 250100 |
| Varieties / grades | Fine, Coarse, Granules, Blocks |
| Purity | 98% NaCl |
| Germination | Not tested — edible / industrial grade |
| Grades | Fine (0.3–0.7 mm), coarse (2–5 mm), granules (5–20 mm), blocks / lumps |
| NaCl | 98% min (dry basis) |
| Moisture | 0.5% max |
| Water-insoluble matter | 0.5% max |
| Lead | < 1 ppm |
| Arsenic | < 0.5 ppm |
| Mercury / cadmium | < 0.1 / < 0.5 ppm |
| Iron (as Fe2O3, colour) | 0.02–0.1% |
| Colour | Light pink to deep red, sorted by seam |
| Bulk density | approx. 1.1–1.3 kg/litre |
| Anti-caking agent | None (food grade); on request |
| Packing | 25 kg / 50 kg PP with liner; 1,000 kg big bags; blocks in cartons |
| Packing | 25 kg / 50 kg / big bags |
| MOQ | 1 x 20ft |
| Origin | Pakistan (Sindh / Punjab unless stated) |
Varieties and grades
Fine (0.3–0.7 mm). Table and cooking salt, also the base for retail shakers and seasoning blends; extra-fine powder (below 0.3 mm) is milled on request for bakery and processed food.
Coarse (2–5 mm). The grinder grade for retail mills and for brining, curing and bath products; the most-shipped grade to the UK, US and Australia.
Granules (5–20 mm). Bath-salt and spa grade sold by colour (light pink, pink, deep red) for cosmetic packers; also used for salt-room and halotherapy installations.
Blocks and lumps. Selected pink-to-red seams cut into cooking slabs (20 x 30 and 20 x 40 cm), lamp blanks (2–10 kg) and animal licks; shipped in cartons or on pallets, usually in a mixed container with bulk salt.
All grades are from the Khewra mine; colour is sorted by seam and stated on the COA. Iodised salt is not offered.
Uses by industry
Who buys himalayan pink salt from Pakistan and what they do with it.
- Retail food packers. Fine and coarse grades re-packed into shakers, grinders and pouches in the UK, US, Germany and Australia.
- Food manufacturers. Fine salt and powder for seasoning blends, snacks, bakery and processed food.
- Bath, spa and cosmetics. Granules and coarse salt for bath salts, scrubs and salt rooms in France, Germany and the US.
- Lamps and homeware. Blocks and lamp blanks with wooden bases, cooking slabs and tealight holders.
- Animal nutrition. Lumps and licks for cattle, horses and camels in the Gulf and Australia.
- Water treatment and industrial. Coarse and bulk salt for softeners and brine where pink colour is not required.
Quality control and testing
Himalayan Pink Salt 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.
Pink salt is released on a COA covering NaCl (dry basis), moisture, water-insoluble matter, lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium against EU and FDA limits, and colour grade; iron oxide is reported as the colour marker. Salt is washed, crushed, screened to the mesh range and metal-detected before bagging under HACCP; block and lamp grades are visually sorted by seam. Heavy-metal analysis is done at an accredited laboratory per lot.
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 himalayan pink salt is 25 kg / 50 kg / big bags, in woven polypropylene bags with an inner polyethylene liner. 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 25 MT (about 1,000 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 26–27 MT (weight limited). 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. Salt does not deteriorate, but it is hygroscopic: keep bags sealed on pallets in a dry store to prevent caking. Food-grade salt carries a nominal 3-year best-before on retail packs; blocks and lamps should be kept dry to avoid surface bloom.
| Container | Net cargo | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 20ft standard | 25 MT | about 1,000 x 25 kg per 20ft; loose on kraft-paper floor |
| 40ft / 40ft HC | 26–27 MT (weight limited) | Weight-limited on dense seed; volume-limited on light seed |
| Palletised (any size) | ≈ 10% less | ISPM 15 pallets, shrink-wrapped and strapped |
| LCL / air | 5 MT LCL | Higher per-kg rate; used for trial lots |
Documents and import compliance
Every container of himalayan pink salt 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | APHA / DEFRA | Phytosanitary certificate; Certificate of origin; IPAFFS pre-notification; commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading | 22–26 days sea |
| United States | USDA APHIS | Phytosanitary certificate; Certificate of origin; APHIS import permit where required; commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading | 30–40 days sea |
| Australia | DAFF Biosecurity | Phytosanitary certificate; Certificate of origin; BICON import permit; commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading | 20–28 days sea |
| Germany | BVL / EU | Phytosanitary certificate; Certificate of origin; EU TRACES CHED-PP; commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading | 22–26 days sea |
| France | DGAL / EU | Phytosanitary certificate; Certificate of origin; EU TRACES CHED-PP; commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading | 20–25 days sea |
HS classification. Rock salt is HS 2501.00 (salt and pure sodium chloride), with national sub-headings for table salt versus other. Salt lamps and cooking slabs may be classified as articles of stone or lighting fittings (HS 6815 or 9405) by some customs administrations; state the intended use on the invoice. Food-grade salt to the EU and UK enters as food with a COA (heavy metals); the US importer files FDA prior notice; Australia has no biosecurity condition for salt. Duty is zero or near zero in all listed markets.
Salt does not require a phytosanitary certificate. The standard document set is COA, certificate of origin, invoice, packing list, bill of lading and MSDS; a health certificate is arranged where a member state asks for one.
Season, new crop and availability
Mined and processed year-round; no seasonality. Lead time is 2–3 weeks from order to loading for standard grades, longer for cut blocks and lamps, which are made to order. Container weight limits, not supply, set the schedule: a 20ft carries 25 MT and the 40ft only marginally more, so shipments are planned as multiples of 20ft.
Retail packers in Europe and North America usually contract quarterly volumes; spa and lamp buyers order per season. There is no prior-crop or new-crop distinction.
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 himalayan pink salt 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. Fine and coarse food grades are priced close together; extra-fine powder, colour-sorted granules and cut blocks or lamps cost more for milling, sorting and hand work. Freight per kg is a large share of landed cost because a 20ft carries 25 MT, so the 20ft is always the economical unit.
- 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
Buyers rarely compare pink salt with another Kohenoor product; the meaningful comparison is between grades and with other rock and sea salts in the trade.
| Criterion | Himalayan Pink Salt | Sea salt (solar) | Refined rock salt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source | Khewra mine, Punjab | Solar evaporation | Underground mine |
| Colour | Pink to red (iron oxide) | White to grey | White |
| NaCl | 98% min | 97–99% | 99%+ |
| Trace minerals | Present, marketed | Present (magnesium) | Removed |
| Typical use | Gourmet, bath, lamps | Gourmet, cooking | Table, industrial |
| Anti-caking | None | None | Usually added |
| 20ft load | 25 MT (weight limit) | 25 MT | 25 MT |
Markets served
Kohenoor has shipped himalayan pink salt to United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Germany, France. Demand comes from retail food packers in the UK, US, Germany and France, spa and cosmetic makers, and lamp and homeware importers in Australia and North America. 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 himalayan pink salt 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
Is Himalayan pink salt food grade?
Yes. Food-grade lots are washed, screened and analysed for NaCl, moisture and heavy metals. The certificate of analysis states lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium against EU and FDA limits, and no anti-caking agent is added unless requested.
How much pink salt fits in a 20ft container?
25 MT, the weight limit on most routes, in 25 kg bags or big bags. A 40ft container is also weight-limited at about 26–27 MT, so 20ft is the economical choice.
Which mesh sizes are available?
Fine 0.3–0.7 mm, extra-fine powder on request, coarse 2–5 mm for grinders, granules 5–20 mm for bath salt, and lumps or blocks for lamps and licks. Custom ranges can be screened to order.
Do you supply salt lamps and cooking slabs?
Yes, as part of a mixed container with bulk salt, or as a stand-alone 20ft. Slabs are cut to 20 x 30 cm and 20 x 40 cm; lamps from 2 to 10 kg with a wooden base, packed in cartons.
Why is the salt pink?
Trace iron oxide (0.02–0.1%) in the Khewra halite gives the colour, which varies by seam from light pink to deep red. Colour is sorted and stated on the COA; it has no effect on NaCl content or food use.
Is the salt iodised?
No. Pink salt is sold unrefined and un-iodised; buyers who need iodised table salt should note this on retail labels where local rules require an iodine statement.
Do you need a phytosanitary certificate for salt?
No. Salt is a mineral and ships with a certificate of analysis, certificate of origin, invoice, packing list, bill of lading and MSDS; a health certificate is arranged for the few markets that ask.
Can you pack pink salt for retail?
Yes. Private-label retail packing from 250 g to 1 kg in pouches, jars or grinders is available through our packing partner; bulk 25 kg bags and big bags remain the standard export format.
What is the lead time for pink salt?
2–3 weeks from order to loading for standard bagged grades, 4–6 weeks for cut blocks, lamps and retail packing. Salt is available year-round with no seasonality.
Which countries do you ship pink salt to?
Mainly the UK, US, Australia, Germany and France, plus the Gulf and East Asia on request. Sea transit from Karachi is 20–28 days to Europe and Australia and 30–40 days to the US.
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