Spice & Commodity Brokers in Forest Hills, New York
John H. Elton, Inc., is a full service ingredient brokerage house specializing in herbs, spices, dried fruits and nuts.
Proud Members of:
American Spice Trade Association (ASTA)
Association of Food Industries (AFI)
©2017 John H. Elton Inc. New York, NY USA
December 14, 2018
We are in Holiday Season and the market for BLACK is on its annual vacation. Our sense is that there is covering needed for nearby shipments, and Vietnamese sellers remain nervous to show sharp offers over the "bridge" period. With Chinese New Year in early February this year there will be a tight window when activity resumes. Meanwhile Brazil continues to make sales and Indonesia is a little more competitive. The forward discounts from Vietnam have held steady, and buyers are starting to take some coverage.
WHITE quotes from both major origins have held quite stable during this period.
Other Spices:
CARAWAY levels seem to have bottomed; we are seeing higher quotes from both Canada and Finland. CARDAMOM quotes continue to march up, and some grades are hard to source. CELERY seems to be in its typical end of the year soft period. China's CHILLIE harvest is shorter, and the jury is still out on what will happen this coming season in India. Surprisingly Brazil is making some more competitive CLOVE offers, but quantities are very limited. MACE offers are hard to find, and very strong, while the NUTMEG market has been stable. POPPY levels continue to advance, while there are some rumors floating in the market about harvests in 2019. India's SESAME quotes eased more. THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN 2018, AND OUR BEST WISHES DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON.