Ephedra (Ma Huang) Herb Exporter & Wholesale Supplier — 35+ Origins, 80+ Destinations

Specification & container math

Procurement-team questions

Answers to the questions buyers ask us most often during RFQ and trial-shipment evaluation.

Is ephedra legal to import?

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It depends entirely on the destination. Ephedra-alkaloid dietary supplements are banned in the USA (FDA, 2004) and restricted in the EU, Canada, Australia and the GCC. The raw herb remains legal for licensed TCM and pharmaceutical use in China and several Asian markets, and ephedrine is an INCB Table I precursor, so some countries require an import permit from the narcotics or drug regulator. Every buyer must hold the licence its jurisdiction requires. We verify the licence before quoting, and we do not sell to supplement manufacturers in jurisdictions where ephedra-alkaloid supplements are banned.

What documents accompany an ephedra shipment?

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Each consignment ships with a Certificate of Analysis showing total ephedrine alkaloids by HPLC (ephedrine and pseudoephedrine reported separately), a phytosanitary certificate from the origin NPPO, a Dubai Chamber-attested certificate of origin, a copy of the buyer import licence or permit, and a signed end-use declaration stating TCM, pharmaceutical or research use. Heavy-metals and pesticide-residue reports are added per destination pharmacopoeia. Bill of lading, commercial invoice and packing list complete the set. Customs in many countries cross-check the licence copy against the consignee, so the licence name must match the buyer on the invoice exactly.

What alkaloid content should I specify?

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Commercial Ephedra sinica and E. intermedia stems typically assay 0.8–1.5% total ephedrine alkaloids on a dry basis; Chinese Pharmacopoeia sets a minimum of 0.8%. Pakistani E. gerardiana from Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan tends to run 0.5–1.2%. Extraction buyers usually specify a minimum of 1.0%; TCM decoction buyers accept the pharmacopoeia floor. We assay each export lot at an accredited lab by HPLC and report ephedrine and pseudoephedrine separately, because the ratio differs by species and harvest month. Request the assay on the PO; blended lots are titrated to spec.

Ephedra sinica versus intermedia versus gerardiana — which origin?

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Ephedra sinica from Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and Gansu is the pharmacopoeia reference species for TCM and gives the highest, most consistent alkaloid content. E. intermedia grows across Gansu, Xinjiang, Kazakhstan and Pakistan and is accepted as ma huang under the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, with slightly higher pseudoephedrine share. E. gerardiana is the Himalayan species harvested in Pakistan and Ladakh, traditionally used in Unani (somlata) and generally lower in alkaloids. Match species to the buyer monograph; we state species on the COA and supply herbarium-verified lots for research programmes.

How is ephedra packed and what fits in a container?

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Whole dried stems are bulky: 25 kg PP woven bags with PE liner load only 8–10 MT into a 20-foot container, so most buyers prefer cut stems in 20 kg cartons or 40–80 mesh powder, which reach 12–14 MT. Moisture is held below 12% to prevent mould and alkaloid loss; lots are stored away from light. Lead time is 21–35 days from confirmed PO and verified licence, with dispatch via Karachi or Jebel Ali. Because the herb is regulated, we do not consolidate ephedra with other products in mixed LCL shipments.

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