Anchovy
Dried anchovy is a small pelagic fish of the Engraulidae family, taken in coastal purse seine and lift net fisheries and preserved by boiling in brine and drying, or by salting and drying, so that it keeps at ambient temperature. It is a staple protein and a foundational flavour ingredient across East and Southeast Asia, where it is used whole as a snack, simmered into the dashi and anchovy stocks that underpin Japanese and Korean cooking, fried as a side dish, and ground into the seasoning powders and sambals of Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Larger sizes are eaten as a table fish and smaller sizes go into stock, condiment and pet food manufacture. The same fisheries also supply the fishmeal and fish oil industries, so the dried food grade trade competes for raw material with industrial reduction.
Listed anchovy markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Dried anchovy is contracted on species, on the size band, and on the moisture and salt content that determine how the fish keeps and how it tastes. Cleanliness and histamine govern whether it clears at the destination.
Species identity and product form
5 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| SpeciesDeclared, by scientific name | Engraulis japonicus, Engraulis encrasicolus, Engraulis ringens, Stolephorus species or Encrasicholina species. The species sets the size range and the flavour, and it is named on the health certificate. |
| Processing methodDeclared | Boiled in brine and dried, salted and dried, or dried without salt. Boiled and dried product is the Codex boiled dried salted anchovy and it is the form most traded into Japan and Korea. |
| Drying methodDeclared | Sun dried, mechanically hot air dried, or a combination. Mechanical drying gives a tighter and more repeatable moisture result. |
| FormDeclared | Whole, headless, gutted, or split. Whole fish is the default and any dressing is a contract term. |
| SaltingDeclared, with the salt applied | Salted or unsalted, and the salt named where the destination restricts the additive carried in with it. |
Size and physical grading
6 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Size bandMillimetres of total length, and count per kilogram | Fish are measured nose to tail fork on a drawn sample and the count per kilogram is taken as the cross check. The band and the tolerance are written into the contract. |
| UniformityPercentage by count outside the stated band, maximum | Mixed sizes cook and rehydrate unevenly, so the tolerance around the band is priced. |
| Broken and damaged fishPercentage by mass, maximum | Fish missing the head or tail, crushed fish and fragments, weighed after separation from a drawn sample. |
| Colour and appearanceDeclared, against an agreed retained sample | Silvery white with an intact skin is the premium presentation. Yellowing indicates fat oxidation and it is a defect. |
| Belly conditionPercentage showing burst bellies, maximum | Burst bellies come from delayed processing of a full gut and they signal that the fish sat before it was cooked. |
| Off species and by-catchPercentage by mass, maximum | Other small pelagic species mixed into the lot, separated and weighed. |
Composition and laboratory analysis
8 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| MoisturePercentage by mass, maximum | Determined by oven drying to constant mass. Moisture is the single term that governs shelf life and it is the term most often disputed, because it also governs weight. |
| Salt contentPercentage by mass, as sodium chloride | Determined by titration on the dried product. It is agreed as a band, not a ceiling, because too little salt shortens the life and too much is a taste defect. |
| Water activityDeclared | Measured on the finished product. It is the better predictor of mould growth than moisture alone and it is used on contracts into humid destinations. |
| Crude proteinPercentage by mass | Determined by the Kjeldahl or Dumas method on a stated moisture basis. |
| Crude fatPercentage by mass | Fat carries the flavour and it also carries the oxidation risk. High fat lots are shorter dated. |
| AshPercentage by mass | Includes the salt carried by the product and any sand picked up during sun drying. |
| Peroxide value and free fatty acidMilliequivalents per kilogram, and percentage | Oxidation markers on the extracted oil. They are the objective measure behind a rancid complaint. |
| HistamineMilligrams per kilogram, maximum | Scombrotoxin formation is the principal hazard in this species group. It is determined by chromatography on a multi-unit sample and it is a food safety limit rather than a quality preference. |
Cleanliness, contamination and food safety
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Foreign matterPercentage by mass, maximum | Sand, shell, stone, plastic, netting and any material that is not the named product, separated by hand from a drawn sample and weighed. |
| Heavy metalsMilligrams per kilogram, maximum, by named element | Mercury, cadmium, lead and inorganic arsenic, determined by atomic absorption or mass spectrometry against the limit in force at the destination. |
| Microbiological criteriaColony forming units per gram, and presence or absence for pathogens | Total plate count, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Vibrio and Staphylococcus, examined under the Codex and destination criteria on samples prepared to ISO 6887. |
| Additive and preservative residuesMilligrams per kilogram, maximum, by named substance | Sulphite, benzoate, hydrogen peroxide, borax and any bleaching agent, declared and tested. Several destinations prohibit substances that others permit. |
| Veterinary drug and pesticide residuesMicrograms per kilogram, maximum, by named substance | Applies to farmed product. Chloramphenicol, nitrofurans, malachite green and the tetracyclines are the residues most often tested at discharge. |
| Insects, mites and live pestsZero tolerance where specified | Dried marine products are stored goods and they attract pests. Inspected before stuffing, and a live find at discharge is a rejection rather than a discount. |
| Decomposition and taintOrganoleptic examination of a cooked and a raw portion | Assessed by a trained panel under the Codex sensory method. Ammoniacal, rancid or sour notes are defects and they are recorded against the sample. |
| Sand and gritPercentage by mass, maximum | Sun dried product picks up sand from the drying floor. It is separated by washing a drawn sample and weighed. |
| MouldPercentage by count, maximum | Visible mould on the fish surface, counted on a drawn sample. It follows from under drying or from a wet voyage. |
Delivery, documentation and certification
10 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| PackingDeclared, with the inner and outer format | Carton, sack, drum, vacuum pouch or interleaved block, with the net weight per unit and the marking written into the contract. |
| Weight basisDeclared | Net weight, net of glaze where the product is glazed, and shipped weight or landed weight, with the survey house named. |
| Health certificateCertificate, issued by the competent authority of the exporting country | Required by most destinations for products of animal origin. It names the approved establishment number of the processing plant. |
| Establishment approvalApproval number, issued by the destination authority | European Union approval number, China GACC registration number or United States FDA registration, named on the contract when the destination requires it. |
| Catch or farm documentationCertificate, with the vessel or farm named | Catch certificate under the illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing rules, or the farm registration and movement documents for cultured product. |
| Cold chain or storage conditionDeclared, in degrees Celsius or as ambient dry storage | Carrying temperature, the recorder placed in the container and the tolerance, agreed before loading. |
| CertificationCertificate, with the scheme and the certificate number | Marine Stewardship Council, Aquaculture Stewardship Council, Best Aquaculture Practices, organic or halal, named on the contract when it is contracted. |
| Traceability and lot identityDeclared, with the lot code | Production date, lot number and the vessel, landing site or farm of origin, carried on the carton and on the packing list. |
| Moisture barrier packingDeclared | Polyethylene lined carton, vacuum pack or nitrogen flush, named where the product ships into a humid destination or on a long voyage. |
| Desiccant and oxygen absorberDeclared | Used on retail and premium grades to hold water activity and to slow fat oxidation. |
Grades outside this list trade on request. Send us the contract specification you work to and we will price against it.
Locations
| Country | Region | We trade it as |
|---|---|---|
| Peru | Pacific coast and the Humboldt current fishery | Origin and destination |
| Morocco | Agadir, Dakhla and the Atlantic coast | Origin and destination |
| Spain | Galicia, Andalusia and the Cantabrian coast | Origin and destination |
| Turkiye | Black Sea and Aegean coasts | Origin and destination |
| Japan | Hokkaido, Kyushu and the Seto Inland Sea | Origin and destination |
| China | Shandong, Fujian, Guangdong and Hainan | Origin and destination |
| South Korea | Jeollanam-do and the southern island fisheries | Origin and destination |
| Vietnam | Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang and the Mekong delta | Origin and destination |
| Thailand | Samut Sakhon, Songkhla and the Andaman coast | Origin and destination |
| Indonesia | Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara, Java and Maluku | Origin and destination |
| Philippines | Visayas, Palawan and Mindanao | Origin and destination |
| Malaysia | Sabah, Sarawak and the Perak coast | Origin and destination |
| India | Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh | Origin and destination |
| Bangladesh | Chattogram, Cox s Bazar and the Bay of Bengal coast | Origin and destination |
| Sri Lanka | Northern and eastern coastal fisheries | Origin and destination |
| Myanmar | Rakhine and Tanintharyi coasts | Origin and destination |
| Italy | Sicily, Puglia and the Adriatic | Origin and destination |
| Greece | Aegean and Ionian coastal fisheries | Origin and destination |
| Singapore | Regional trading, finance and re-export | Trading and finance |
| Hong Kong | Sheung Wan dried seafood trade and re-export into mainland China | Destination and trading hub |
| Taiwan | Kaohsiung and the western coastal processing base | Destination |
| United States | Alaska, the Gulf coast, New England and the Pacific northwest | Origin and destination |
| Nigeria | Lagos and the southern consuming market | Destination |
| United Arab Emirates | Dubai re-export and Gulf consumption | Destination |
Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.
Timing
Harvest is when the catch is landed or the crop is taken at origin. Arrival is when a shipment from that origin typically lands in a consuming market. The gap between them is processing, drying or freezing, inspection, veterinary clearance and the voyage.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morocco | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest May to Nov, arrival Jul to JanAtlantic anchovy taken off Agadir and Dakhla, with the main run through the warm months. | |||
| Peru | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest Apr to Dec, arrival Jan to SepTwo regulated seasons on the Humboldt anchoveta, with most volume going to reduction and a food grade fraction dried. | ||
| Vietnam | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Sep to Apr, arrival Nov to JunTwo runs on the central and southern coasts, with the cooler months giving the firmer fish. | ||
| Thailand | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Oct to Apr, arrival Dec to MayGulf and Andaman lift net fisheries, with drying concentrated in the dry season. | ||||
| Indonesia | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Apr to Sep, arrival Jun to NovSulawesi and Nusa Tenggara lift net fisheries working through the dry monsoon. | ||||
| India | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Sep to Feb, arrival Nov to AprPost monsoon season on the southwest and southeast coasts. | ||||
| Japan | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Mar to Nov, arrival Apr to DecSpring and autumn runs, with the premium boiled and dried niboshi trade taking the best of the catch. | ||||
| China | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Apr to Nov, arrival May to DecFujian and Guangdong coastal fisheries around the summer closure. |
Windows outside this pattern trade on request, including carry, forward positions and stock already sitting in a destination warehouse.
Customs, packing and contract terms
Indicative terms for anchovy. Tariff classification is the importer’s responsibility and limits change, so confirm both against the destination customs authority and the current regulation before you fix a contract.
- HS heading0305.59 Dried fish, other, whether or not salted but not smoked
0305.63 Anchovies, salted but not dried or smoked, or in brine - PackingCartons of 10 kg to 20 kg with food grade liner, vacuum packed for high value items. Water activity at pack decides whether the lot ships ambient or chilled.
- Container loading20ft: 10 t to 18 t, generally volume limited. Reefer at minus 18 degrees Celsius for frozen, ambient or chilled for dried depending on water activity.
- Contract and arbitrationSale on sample and specification against a certificate of analysis, with the establishment approval number stated in the contract. Arbitration under ICC rules or at the contract seat.
- Destination limitsEU third country establishment listing and health certification under Regulation 2019/627 with a catch certificate under the IUU Regulation 1005/2008. Heavy metal limits for cadmium, lead, mercury and inorganic arsenic under Regulation 2023/915, histamine controls on scombroid species, CITES Appendix II listing for several sea cucumber species, and novel food authorisation for algae without an EU history of consumption.
Common questions
What grades of anchovy does SIP Global trade?
We quote 38 published grades of anchovy, including Species - Declared, by scientific name, Processing method - Declared, Drying method - Declared, Form - Declared, Salting - Declared, with the salt applied and Size band - Millimetres of total length, and count per kilogram. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is anchovy graded?
Dried anchovy is contracted on species, on the size band, and on the moisture and salt content that determine how the fish keeps and how it tastes. Cleanliness and histamine govern whether it clears at the destination. Grading runs on 5 systems: Species identity and product form, Size and physical grading, Composition and laboratory analysis, Cleanliness, contamination and food safety and Delivery, documentation and certification.
Where does SIP Global trade anchovy?
We trade anchovy in Peru, Morocco, Spain, Turkiye, Japan, China, South Korea and Vietnam and 16 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is anchovy harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Morocco: harvest may to nov, arrival jul to jan; Peru: harvest apr to dec, arrival jan to sep; Vietnam: harvest sep to apr, arrival nov to jun; Thailand: harvest oct to apr, arrival dec to may; Indonesia: harvest apr to sep, arrival jun to nov. Harvest is when the lot is taken at origin, arrival is when a shipment from that origin lands in a consuming market. Windows outside this pattern, including carry, trade on request.
What is the HS code for anchovy?
Anchovy is normally classified under HS 0305.59 (dried fish, other, whether or not salted but not smoked) and HS 0305.63 (anchovies, salted but not dried or smoked, or in brine). The heading follows the form the goods are in at the border, and national tariffs extend it beyond six digits, so confirm the full line with the destination customs authority before you fix a contract.
How do I get a price for anchovy?
Send the grade, the origin and the delivery window to the SIP Global desk. That is enough for a trader to come back with a level and a settlement route. 1 listed anchovy market is published on this page, each with its full specification and terms. We take both sides, physical and financial, prompt to long dated.
Standards and data sources
The grading language on this sheet follows published standards. Trade volumes and tariff lines are public record. Verify anything here against the source.
- ISOInternational Organization for Standardization
- Codex AlimentariusFAO and WHO food standards
- UN ComtradeOfficial international trade statistics by HS code
- ITC Trade MapBilateral trade flows and tariff data
- FAOSTATFAO production and trade series for agricultural commodities
Price this with our desk
Grade, origin and window if you have them. If what you are carrying does not fit the sheet above, describe it in your own words and a trader will take it from there.