Lac & Shellac Export Markets — Buyer Guides by Country
Shellac rules, grades and documents differ from country to country. Pick your market for a guide written for buyers there.
Market guides
Each market buys shellac for different reasons and under different rules. These guides cover what buyers in each country specify, the documents they expect, and how shipments move from India.
United States
Confectioner's glaze, USP-NF types, FDA food-contact listings, import rules (FSVP, Prior Notice, ISF) and the RFQ-to-sample process.
Read the USA guide →United Kingdom
French polish, heritage conservation, instruments and natural dyeing; GB food rules after 2021, importer basics and UK ports.
Read the UK guide →Germany
The 2026 E904 update (wax-free only), grades for food, pharma, refining and wood finishing, and shipping Kolkata to Hamburg.
Read the Germany guide →France
Gomme-laque for food (E904), INCI SHELLAC for cosmetics, coatings and food-contact files, and shipping to Le Havre.
Read the France guide →Italy
Gommalacca for restoration, lutherie and gilding, E904 for confectionery, industrial grades and shipping to Genoa.
Read the Italy guide →Spain
Goma laca for citrus and fruit coating after the 2026 E904 update, confectionery, cosmetics, furniture and shipping to Valencia.
Read the Spain guide →Vietnam
Pharma, footwear, furniture and food grades, Form AI under the ASEAN–India FTA, and shipping to Ho Chi Minh City or Hai Phong.
Read the Vietnam guide →Indonesia
Bulk industrial flake for furniture, inks and abrasives, AIFTA Form AI, import licences and FCL shipping to Tanjung Priok.
Read the Indonesia guide →Bangladesh
Seedlac, button lac (gala), flakes and dewaxed shellac by road via Petrapole–Benapole, FCA/DAP terms and LC documents.
Read the Bangladesh guide →China
The whole lac value chain: seedlac, flakes, lac wax, lac dye and aleuritic acid — HS codes, technical files, APTA and shipping to Shanghai.
Read the China guide →How the markets compare
| United States | Food rules: FDA listings and USP-NF for pharma · Import: FDA facility registration, FSVP, Prior Notice for food · Strongest fit: wood finishing and industrial flakes, button lac |
| Germany | Food rules: E904 under EU 231/2012, wax-free only since 2026 · Import: EORI, TARIC duty check · Strongest fit: seedlac and button lac for refiners, flakes for wood finishing |
| France | Food rules: E904 under EU 231/2012 with DGCCRF labelling checks · Cosmetics: INCI SHELLAC under 1223/2009 · Strongest fit: flakes and button lac for French polish and restoration |
| Italy | Two trades: wood restoration and lutherie, and E904 confectionery · Workshops judge colour and freshness, not food papers · Strongest fit: flakes, button lac and dewaxed for French polish and gilding |
| Spain | Largest distinct use: citrus coating, now wax-free E904 only · Also confectionery, cosmetics (AEMPS) and furniture · Strongest fit: flakes and button lac for furniture and restoration |
| Indonesia | Mostly industrial: furniture, inks, abrasives · Trade: AIFTA with Form AI (India is not in RCEP) · Import: API-licensed importer · Strongest fit: flakes, button lac, seedlac by the container |
| Bangladesh | Mostly furniture and further processing; food and pharma second · Route: by road via Petrapole–Benapole (FCA/CPT/DAP) or sea to Chattogram · Payment: mostly LC · Strongest fit: seedlac, button lac, flakes |
| China | Buys five lac products, each with its own HS line and COA · Trade: no FTA, APTA may apply · Lac red listed in GB 2760 · Strongest fit: seedlac, aleuritic acid, lac dye, lac wax |
What stays the same for every market
- Terms: FOB Kolkata, CFR or CIF to your port. See Incoterms for resin buyers.
- Documents: batch COA, TDS, SDS and certificate of origin with every shipment. See COA, MSDS and TDS explained.
- Grade first: match the grade to the use before comparing prices — food, pharma and wood-finishing shellac are not interchangeable. See seedlac vs flakes vs dewaxed.
- Your country not listed? Request a quote with your destination port and we will confirm route, terms and documents.
Buying Lac or Shellac From India?
Tell us your product, grade and destination port. Batch COA with every shipment, quotes within 24 hours.