Bulk Ceylon Cinnamon Sticks: Grades, Prices and Samples

Bulk cinnamon sticks sold in the US are mostly cassia. If you want true Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) by the kilo for a bakery, a spice brand, a tea blend or a supplement line, this guide covers what to ask for: the grade, the cut, the price basis, and how to test a supplier before you commit to a full order.

We source Ceylon cinnamon in Sri Lanka and ship it from Colombo. Everything below is how we quote it ourselves.

Ceylon or cassia: check this first

Ceylon cinnamon is many thin layers of inner bark rolled into a soft, papery quill you can crumble by hand. Cassia is one thick, hard layer of bark that curls in from both sides. Ceylon tastes sweeter and milder, and it carries far less coumarin, which matters if the product is eaten daily or sold as a supplement. A “cinnamon stick” with no species named is almost always cassia. For the side-by-side detail, see Ceylon cinnamon vs cassia.

Grades: the number is the diameter

Ceylon cinnamon is graded mainly by quill diameter, not length. Thinner quills take more skill to roll and cost more. The bands below are the common commercial convention; the grade that binds is the one written into your contract and the SLS 81 certificate.

Quillings (broken pieces) and featherings (inner shavings) are cheaper again and are the usual raw material for powder. Not sure which grade you have been offered? Measure it with our cinnamon grade calculator.

Cut sticks or full quills

• Full quills are about 42 inches (107 cm) long, as rolled. They are cheaper per kilo and right if you cut and pack yourself.
• Cut sticks are cut to length at origin, most often 3, 4 or 5 inches. They are ready for retail jars and pouches.
• Powder is milled from quillings or lower grades. Ask for the mesh size (for example 100 to 120 mesh) and whether it is steam sterilized.

What bulk Ceylon cinnamon costs

There is no public per-grade price for Ceylon cinnamon, so any figure you see is a quote from somebody. Ours are on the page: our bulk Ceylon cinnamon listing shows the current price ladder by quantity. As of October 2026 our indicative range for cut sticks is about USD 20 to 26 per kg, FOB Colombo, depending on grade. Alba and C5 Special sit above that; quillings sit well below it.

The price moves with three things: the grade, the cut (cut sticks cost more than full quills), and the quantity. A quote without a grade attached is not a price yet.

How to buy without a big first risk

1. Order a sample. Sample sizes of Ceylon cinnamon sticks and powder can be bought by card on our samples page, shipped from Sri Lanka.
2. Ask for a quote. Tell us the grade, cut, quantity and destination. Our trade desk replies within one business day, with a dated ship estimate for air and sea.
3. Start with a trial lot. A small first order before a full container is normal, and we quote it.
4. Pay safely. On first orders of USD 2,000 to 20,000 you can pay through Escrow.com, which releases payment only after you accept the goods. A lab certificate of analysis is available on request.

Your own brand of Ceylon cinnamon

If you sell cinnamon under your own label, we can pack it in Sri Lanka. With your own pouches and printed stickers, private-label runs of cinnamon sticks or powder start at 100 units. If you want us to source the packaging as well, the minimum is 1,000 units. Price a run in our private label builder.

Paperwork and HS codes

• HS 0906.11: Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), neither crushed nor ground. HS 0906.20: crushed or ground.
• Each shipment carries a commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, plus a phytosanitary certificate where your country requires one. A lab certificate of analysis is available on request.
• For the US, you (or your customs broker) are the importer of record and handle FDA Prior Notice and FSVP. We supply the supplier documents those steps need.