Everything on Export of Candles, its Categories, Wick sizes, and More (Case Study 2022)
The candle industry has been flourishing in the global market since the last decade. The global leading exporters of candles are the US, China, India, and so on. The Indian candle industry has grown significantly over the years. It is presently the 11th largest exporter of candles worldwide. Although India is facing very tough competition from China, exports of India’s candles have been rising at an exponential rate. The credit for this growth can be given to a number of reasons. However, the most significant reason owing to this growth is the anti-dumping duties that countries like the US and EU have imposed on candles coming from China. So don’t be surprised to find a ‘Made in India’ tag on the designer candles if you visit a branded decorative store in New York or California. Although China is giving a tough competition to India in the exports of candles, we can find a great number of decorative and scented candles being sourced from India in houses and offices in the US, Australia, and UK. Indian manufacturers are able to attract a huge global crowd with their innovative and creative designs of candles. Follow this complete guide to understand the export of candles from India and various other things about the candle industry.Â
Table of Content
- Overview of the Indian Candle Industry
- Various Categories of Candles
- Wick Sizes of Candles
- Why Should You Import Candles from India?
- Best Online Platforms to Buy Candles
Overview of the Indian Candle Industry

India is one of the biggest exporters of decorative and scented candles. It is very tough to estimate the size of India’s candle exports industry, however, big market players guess that it is approximately a Rs 300 crore industry. India is a hub of mass-market where candles are produced at low cost and exported to the US, EU, Australia, UK, and other far-east countries. Over the coming years, this industry has started to gain increasing market share, but we are still far behind as compared to China in exports of candles. The major attraction of candle exports from India to the US or EU has been the scenario of zero duty as compared to high anti-dumping duties levied from the candle exporters of China. At present, the US candle industry alone is close of $ 5 billion. Gigantic players in the US continue to dominate the medium and high-end segment candle industry. However, candles imported from countries like India which offer a very low cost get a significant share in the mass-market segment. In recent years, new players that have entered the medium-scale category have been able to attract significant attention from the western markets, which is the primary reason for the increased exports in India.
Various Categories of Candles

Candles come in various categories. Let us discuss the various categories of candles in detail.
- Tea Lights Candles: These candles are generally used in dining tables in homes or reception areas of banquet halls and restaurants. They are extremely lightweight and compact in nature used to set the mood at the venues. These candles are generally inexpensive and can be easily transported to off-premise catering events.
- Birthday Candles: These candles are very popular. They can be placed on individual slices of cakes or on full cakes or on top of sundaes to allow people to make different wishes on their birthdays. They come in a variety of sizes and vibrant and flamboyant colors. The designs of these candles can be customized as per the desire of the customers.
- Votive Candles: These candles are great for decorating the area surrounding parties and weddings. They are similar to tea light candles. However, votive candles are bigger as compared to the tea light candles which allows them to glow longer, and thus these candles are preferred for longer events. They are pocket-friendly and very easy to use.
- Taper Candles: These candles are very common in the market. They provide an elegant look to any room. These candles are sometimes also referred to as window candles. They are generally thin and long in size which helps to add dimension to tabletops.
- Pillar Candles: These candles are either used alone or combined with various other sizes of candles to create personalized centerpieces. Pillar candles help to minimize replacement costs because they have adequate ample burning times. These candles come in different categories of heights and diameters.
- Floating Candles: These candles are one of the most exquisite and eye-catching of the lot. They can be placed inside large bowls or vases containing water. These candles have small bottoms and large tops which helps them float in water without tipping. They come in different shapes, sizes, and colors to match your preferred theme.
- Cartridge Candles: These candles are like taper candles and help add an elegant and sophisticated look to any place where you place them. They are very popular in the global market. These candles are designed in such a manner that they help in the elimination of wax drippings and also allow the exterior to remain of the same height which helps to add an attractive look to the area where they are placed.
- Wax-Filled Glass Candles: As the same suggests, these candles are filled in glasses. You can see these candles in many cafes and restaurants. They are a great addition to enhance the beauty of any place. A great thing about these candles is that you do not have to worry about the tables being damaged because they come in glasses, jars, or containers.Â
- Fuel Cartridge Candles: These candles can be added to a variety of candle lamps for superior versatility. You do not have to worry about the melting of wax in these candles. These candles offer you around 8 to 100 hours of burn time depending upon the size of the candle. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes to fit your desired requirement.
Wick Sizes of Candles

Wicks can be made with the help of various materials. In this article, we will discuss zinc zinc-cords and their sizes. Zinc cored wicks are used in different types of candles like tea lights, container candles, wax-filled glass candles, votives and so on. These wicks are very effective in paraffin waxes. The candles made up of zinc wicks provide maximum rigidity and strength to keep the candle straight standing. Let us now discuss in detail the different wick sizes.
8 oz. Roll | 4 lb. Roll | Material of   Wick | Candles in which it is used | Burn Rate     (gm./hr.) | Yield (yds./lb.) |
W-22B | W-61 | 10-38 zinc | Small votive candles | 2.2 | 459 |
W-22A | W-60 | 28-24 spec. zinc | Small votive and tea-lights candles | 1.7 | 444 |
W-22C | W-62 | 28-24 zinc | Small votive and tea-lights candles | 1.7 | 444 |
W-23 | 2-66-SPZ | 34-40 special zinc | Small votive and tea-lights candles | 2.7 | 338 |
– | W-63 | 32-24 zinc | Small votive and tea-lights candles | 1.8 | 452 |
W-63-A-Z | W-63A | 30-24 zinc | Small votive and tea-lights candles | – | – |
W-22D | W-64 | 34-24 zinc | Extra small containers less than 1’’ and Small votive candles | 2.1 | 448 |
W-23B | W-68 | 44-20-18 zinc | Medium 2-3’’ containers and Votive candles | 3.2 | 343 |
[Source: candlewic.com]
Why Should You Import Candles from India?

The Indian candle industry is a highly labor-intensive sector. It offers candles at very cheap prices. Candle manufacturers in India produce a vast variety of candles thus you have a lot of options at your disposal. Although countries like China offer more cost advantages over India, there are several clients who want to conduct business with Indian manufacturers because they are more trustworthy and honest. Apart from the cultural dynamics that work well with the Indian manufacturers, Indians are extremely creative and innovative too. Thus, you get to see new and innovative products with each coming day. Manufacturers in India are diversifying their product base by introducing fragrance-delivery products like diffusers, plug-ins, aerosols, fragrance sachets, and similar other products. The government of India is also working hand in hand with the Indian manufacturers of candles to promote candles made in India in the global market.Â
Best Online Platforms to Buy Candles

There are numerous online platforms like Craftezy, Amazon, and so on from where you can import candles of different shapes and sizes. However, among these sites, Craftezy is a trading platform that is dedicated primarily to the supply of these products. Premium and authentic candles of different varieties are listed on their platform. These candles are supplied by the verified and authentic artisans coming from the different regions of India who are actively dedicated to make the products look beautiful and elegant with their creativity and exquisite designs. You can get different types of candles all under one umbrella and that too at extremely reasonable prices. The team of Craftezy negotiates with the artisans and suppliers to provide you the best prices. Everything starting from negotiations to logistics is managed by Craftezy to make your buying experience hassle-free.