Present at Origin. The Ceylon trade desk for North America.
Ceylon cinnamon, coconut, and allied spices. FOB Colombo and CIF US East Coast, FCL, to verified trade accounts.
A Trade House,
Not a Broker
Boston Merchant Co sources direct from partner estates and mills in Sri Lanka's coconut triangle and cinnamon belt. Our principal estate partners have operated continuously in Sri Lanka's cinnamon and coconut belts since the early twentieth century. We are the direct link between those estates and the importers, manufacturers, and specialty distributors across North America who demand verified origin, consistent quality, and full-container economics.
Every provision we carry is traceable to its estate of origin. Every lot ships with a full documentation package — Certificate of Analysis, Certificate of Origin, Phytosanitary Certificate, Organic Certificate where applicable, and MSDS on request. No spot-market sourcing. No unmarked intermediaries. No ambiguity about what you are importing.
Sri Lanka is our first origin; partner facilities in India and Indonesia, and origin relationships in Malaysia and East and West Africa, extend the same standard across the spice belt.
No spot-market goods. Every lot tied to a named estate, a named harvest, and a full documentation set.
No unmarked intermediaries. Every step from rolling station to Colombo Port documented and available to the buyer.
Organic and conventional, certified to USDA and EU standards. Current certificates available to qualified buyers on request.
Trade Accounts We Serve
Full-container economics. FOB Colombo or CIF US East Coast — L/C at sight or TT accepted. Full FDA import documentation with every consignment.
TYPICAL LOT · 1×20′ FCL — DOCS · CoA / CoO / PhytoGrade-consistent supply with locked analytical parameters per lot. COA covers volatile oil, moisture, coumarin, microbial limits. OTC available on certified-origin SKUs.
TYPICAL LOT · 500 kg–FCL — DOCS · CoA / OTC / PhytoEstate to shelf-ready SKU. Retail filling, pouching, and tetra aseptic packing on FSSC-certified lines at origin. UPC and lot coding in the documentation package.
MOQ 100 kg PER SKU — FORMATS · 40 g–1 L retail-readyFrom Estate to Examination
We do not broker spot-market goods. Every provision moves through direct, documented partnerships with estates and producers whose families have tended these lands for generations. That continuity is not a marketing claim — it is the reason our quality specifications are met, lot after lot.
Selective Hand Harvest
Ceylon cinnamon is harvested by hand by trained artisans who have learned the craft from their families. Only mature inner-bark shoots are selected, cut, and transported immediately to the rolling station to preserve volatile-oil integrity.
Grading & Processing
At the mill, product is graded by hand to C4, C5, and Alba quill standards, or dried and milled to specification for powder. Coconut products are processed in dedicated HACCP-certified facilities to prevent cross-contamination.
Independent Laboratory Testing
Every lot is tested by accredited third-party laboratories (SGS and equivalent) before shipment. Tests cover moisture content, volatile oil levels, coumarin content on cinnamon, curcumin percentage on turmeric, microbial limits, and heavy metal compliance.
Full Documentation Package
Each shipment departs Colombo Port with a complete documentation set: Certificate of Origin, Phytosanitary Certificate, HACCP declaration, Organic Certificate (where applicable), Certificate of Analysis, and MSDS on request. Nothing ships without full paper.
Long before the spice routes became trade routes, Ceylon cinnamon was the most coveted substance in the known world. Ancient Egyptians used it in embalming; Arab traders guarded their sources as state secrets; medieval European prices for true cinnamon rivalled those for precious metals. When the Portuguese reached Ceylon in 1505, they were not exploring — they were hunting this single commodity.
The Dutch followed, establishing the most ruthless spice monopoly in history, burning cinnamon to control supply and executing those who removed it without licence. Three empires fought over the same coastal lowland forests of Sri Lanka — and for good reason. Cinnamomum zeylanicum grows wild and cultivated nowhere else on earth in its true form. Every other variety sold as cinnamon is cassia: a related but categorically inferior bark.
"What reaches you from Boston Merchant Co is the same cinnamon the Portuguese sailed ten thousand miles to control. The bark has not changed. The passage is simply more reliable."
Our true Ceylon cinnamon is harvested from the Cinnamomum zeylanicum belt of Sri Lanka's western province, hand-rolled by families who have worked this craft for generations. Quill grades include C4, C5, and the rare Alba classification. Ground powder is milled from certified-origin bark, tested for low-coumarin compliance. Available organic and conventional, in bulk and private-label packing. Coumarin content typically ≤0.04 g/kg, documented per lot against EU 1334/2008 limits.
Full specification sheets and sample allocations: trade@bostonmerchantco.com
Colombo to Boston
Every lot traces this arc — from estate to examination to your warehouse.
Q3 2026 Cinnamon Belt:
Harvest Conditions & Grade Availability
The southwest-monsoon season harvest is proceeding across the Southern Province and Matale District. Bark-moisture readings at rolling are within specification across cooperating estates, with seasonal humidity managed through extended resting periods prior to grading. The current grade mix is running C5-heavy, with Alba and C4 lots constrained by lower bark-yield volumes in the primary belt this season. Conventional C5 allocation is strong and available for Q4 forward orders. Organic-certified C5 and C4 stocks are fully committed through October.
Spot cinnamon premiums remain elevated against cassia equivalents; conventional C5 allocation remains strong for Q4 forward orders.
Buyers planning Q4 import programmes are advised to confirm standing orders before October. Organic-certified C5 and Alba lots are pre-allocated by standing account priority.
NEXT UPDATE — NOVEMBER 2026 · SUBSCRIBE VIA TRADE@BOSTONMERCHANTCO.COM
Commodity Register
Wholesale-grade, estate-sourced, certified. Available in bulk, retail-ready, and private-label packing.
FOB COLOMBO · CIF US PORTS AVAILABLE
Private Label Programme
Estate-direct lots · custom specification · CoA per consignment.
Our partner facilities operate retail-ready lines at origin — filling, bottling, pouching, tetra aseptic packing, and display-ready casing — enabling counterparties to proceed from specification to shelf-ready SKU without a US co-packer in the chain.
Label design, compliance panels, UPC and lot coding are documented in the specification package. Each private-label SKU ships with the same certification set as bulk lines — CoA, CoO, Phyto, and Organic Certificate where applicable.
Organic & conventional grades available
Retail formats 40 g – 1 L · display-ready casing
UPC / lot coding included in documentation package
How We Trade
Standard Incoterms — FOB Colombo, CIF US ports — with open account available to established partners. Full documentation set travels with every shipment.
Payment Arrangements
- L/C at sight for new trade accounts
- 30% TT deposit with balance against Bill of Lading
- Open account available for verified long-standing partners
- Wire transfer accepted in USD, EUR, and GBP
Minimum Orders
- 500 kg minimum per SKU on standard grades
- FCL from 20 MT per container
- Mixed containers available on select lines
- Private label packing from 100 kg per SKU
Production & Shipping
- 21–28 days from order confirmation for standard grades
- 35–45 days for certified organic lots
- CIF, FOB, and EXW terms negotiable
- Colombo Port departure; worldwide delivery
Standard Document Set
- Certificate of Origin (country-certified)
- Phytosanitary Certificate on all vegetable-origin goods
- Organic Certificate (USDA and EU available)
- Certificate of Analysis, MSDS, fumigation cert on request
Regulatory & Customs
- Boston Merchant Co serves as Importer of Record for its programmes
- FSVP compliance under FDA FSMA (21 CFR Part 1, Subpart L)
- FDA Prior Notice filed for all regulated food shipments
- Customs entry through a licensed US customs broker under continuous surety bond
View a specimen Certificate of Analysis
| Parameter | Specification | Result | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volatile Oil | ≥ 2.5 ml / 100 g | —— | ISO 6571 |
| Moisture Content | ≤ 13% | —— | ISO 939 |
| Coumarin | ≤ 0.04 g/kg (EU 1334/2008) | —— | HPLC |
| Cinnamaldehyde | ≥ 55% (volatile fraction) | —— | GC-MS |
| Total Plate Count | ≤ 100,000 CFU/g | —— | ISO 4833 |
| E. coli | Absent / 10 g | —— | ISO 16649 |
| Salmonella spp. | Absent / 25 g | —— | ISO 6579 |
How a Trade Relationship Begins
Reach the trade desk at trade@bostonmerchantco.com or via the form below. Include your intended SKUs, volumes, certifications required, and destination port. A full response is not a sales call — it is a specification document.
We return a Proforma Invoice with itemised unit pricing, HTS codes, Certificate of Analysis reference numbers, and documentation schedule. All pricing is confirmed against the current lot, not from a catalogue.
Trade samples are dispatched from the confirmed lot before production is released. Orders proceed only after written approval of the sample specification. We do not ship against a different lot than the approved sample.
On payment confirmation, your allocation is logged against the approved lot. Full shipping documents — Bill of Lading, Certificate of Origin, Phytosanitary Certificate, COA — are transmitted ahead of vessel departure.
Open a Trade Account
We work exclusively with importers, distributors, food manufacturers, and private-label brands. Submit your trade enquiry below and a member of our trade desk will respond within one business day.
Please include your intended order volumes and certifications required so we can prepare an accurate specification and pricing response.
United States
Qualified trade enquiries answered within one business day.
Enquiry Received.
Your enquiry has been received. A member of our trade desk will respond within one business day with the full specification catalogue, pricing framework, and sample availability.