How to Export Gum Arabic From Africa (2026 Guide)

Gum arabic, also called acacia gum, is the hardened sap of certain acacia trees and a quiet but important African export. It ends up in soft drinks, confectionery, bakery products and pharmaceuticals, and anyone who wants to export gum arabic needs to know which species they are selling, how buyers judge quality and what paperwork follows the shipment. This guide covers the countries that produce it, Nigeria's position, the quality points European buyers check, the food-additive status of acacia gum in the EU and how to approach buyers. Figures come from CBI market reports dated 2022 and 2025, and we do not quote prices because no current official price source was found.

Which countries produce gum arabic?

CBI's 2025 acacia gum report describes a gum belt stretching from Senegal to Eritrea. Its table of main production areas lists Sudan, Chad, Senegal, Mali, Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya, Mauritania and Niger. Two European gum processors quoted in the report name Sudan, Chad and Nigeria among their main supplying countries. A 2022 CBI report listed Sudan, Nigeria, Senegal, Chad, Somalia, Eritrea and Mauritania. The same report notes European supply is dominated by Sudan and Chad, with France getting most of its imports mainly from those two. That is why political instability in Sudan matters to every other producer's order book.

Nigeria's gum arabic position

Nigeria appears consistently on lists of producing countries, but the CBI reports give no Nigerian volume figures, and we did not find an official Nigerian page with production or export numbers. We therefore do not state any. What the sources do support is that Nigeria is a recognised source named by European processors, so buyers know the origin, but exporters should expect to prove consistency through lab results. For documents, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) lists exporter registration, an export contract, a phytosanitary certificate for agricultural commodities, commercial invoice, packing list, the NXP form from a bank, pre-shipment inspection, certificate of origin and transport documents. Its page is dated 29 August 2020, so confirm the current list at the NEPC export documents page.

Gum arabic quality grades: hashab, talha and what buyers check

The two botanical sources are Acacia senegal and Acacia seyal, according to CBI. In Chad the seyal gum is called talha and the senegal gum kitir. CBI's 2022 report says hashab gum arabic is considered higher quality and costs more than talha, and its 2025 report says the lightest gum generally commands the best prices. We found no single official grading scheme, so grade names are defined in your contract with the buyer.

• State the species on the label. Buyers analyse composition to confirm it.
• Sort by colour: buyers prefer light colour and minimal odour.
• Remove bark, sand and other foreign matter before packing.
• Expect to supply a certificate of analysis per batch, plus a safety data sheet and technical data sheet.

Is gum arabic an approved food additive? EU status of E414

According to CBI's market entry report (updated 26 March 2025), Regulation (EU) 231/2012 sets the E-number and purity specifications for acacia gum, E414, and EFSA re-evaluated it, with the 2019 outcome that it is generally safe to use as a food additive. The report gives specification figures such as loss on drying up to 17 percent for granular gum and up to 10 percent for spray-dried, ash below 4 percent, acid-insoluble ash up to 0.5 percent, heavy-metal limits (arsenic up to 3 mg/kg, lead up to 2 mg/kg, mercury and cadmium up to 1 mg/kg) and absence of E. coli in 5 g and Salmonella in 10 g. Buyers also expect the gum to be 100 percent natural and pure. Read the CBI acacia gum market entry page for full detail, and confirm with your buyer, since regulations change.

Markets outside the EU have their own additive rules, which we did not verify, so ask each buyer which standard applies.

Packaging, labelling and certification

CBI says the most common pack is a 25 kg bag, with 50 kg bags and fibre drums of 50 to 200 kg also used. Powder and granules typically go in polyethylene-lined multi-wall paper bags, and kibbled gum in laminated woven polypropylene bags. Recognised names on labels are Gum Arabic, Acacia Gum and Acacia fibre, and mandatory label elements include product name, the species, net weight, batch number, manufacturing date, country of origin and supplier details. On certification, CBI names FSSC 22000 and ISO 22000 for food safety, SEDEX membership for ethical trading, and EU organic rules for organic. Buyers increasingly want traceable supply chains, so keep records from collection onward.

Market size and how to read the numbers

CBI reports Europe's 2023 imports of acacia gum at 98,700 tonnes worth 246 million euros, with about 46 percent traded within the EU, and global processing of 85,000 to 95,000 tonnes. It also says gum arabic prices have fluctuated since 2016 because of political conditions in Sudan and the Sahel and supply chain disruptions. Use these as background, not as price quotes, and ask your buyer for their current purchase terms. Read the CBI market potential report.

Finding and vetting gum arabic buyers

Many buyers are processors who clean, blend and spray-dry the gum, so they care about consistency more than about heritage. Send a representative sample with your test results, and agree on the grade definition in writing. Choose payment and delivery terms using our guides on LC, TT and escrow and Incoterms, and read how to export agricultural products from Africa.

Frequently asked questions

Which countries export gum arabic? CBI lists Sudan, Chad, Senegal, Mali, Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya, Mauritania and Niger among the main production areas, with Sudan and Chad the main suppliers to Europe.

Is gum arabic allowed in food in Europe? Acacia gum has the E-number E414, with specifications in Regulation (EU) 231/2012, and CBI reports EFSA concluded it is generally safe as a food additive. Confirm the current rules with your buyer.

What is the difference between hashab and talha? Hashab is the higher-value Acacia senegal gum, and talha is from Acacia seyal. CBI says hashab costs more than talha.

How is gum arabic usually packed? Commonly 25 kg bags, according to CBI, and sometimes 50 kg bags or fibre drums.

Getting started

You can list your gum arabic on Comilmart for free, even before verification, with species, grade description and lab results. Browse the food and agro category, see the verified supplier directory, or create a free account. Overseas buyers can send a request for quotation on the RFQ page. Comilmart cannot promise buyers, orders, volumes or prices, and export rules change, so confirm requirements with the relevant authority before shipping.