Seaweed
Seaweed is a macroalgae grown on coastal lines and rafts or harvested from wild beds, then washed, sun dried and baled for shipment. It is eaten directly as a vegetable and a wrapper across East Asia, and it is the raw material for the three principal marine hydrocolloids, carrageenan from Kappaphycus, Eucheuma and Chondrus, agar from Gracilaria and Gelidium, and alginate from the brown kelps. Those hydrocolloids thicken, gel and stabilise dairy products, processed meat, pet food, toothpaste, pharmaceutical suspensions and laboratory media, so the dried weed trade sits upstream of a large industrial processing sector as well as a direct food market.
Listed seaweed markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Seaweed is contracted on the species, on how clean and how dry the weed is, and on the gel performance of the hydrocolloid it yields. Clean anhydrous weed content is the term that converts a shipped tonne into usable raw material.
Species identity and product form
5 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| SpeciesDeclared, by scientific name | Kappaphycus alvarezii and Eucheuma denticulatum for carrageenan, Gracilaria and Gelidium for agar, Laminaria, Saccharina, Macrocystis and Ascophyllum for alginate, and Porphyra, Undaria and Chondrus crispus for direct food use. |
| Cultivated or wildDeclared | Line and raft cultivated, or harvested from a wild bed. Cultivation gives a more uniform crop and wild harvest is seasonally constrained. |
| FormDeclared | Raw dried whole weed, washed and cleaned weed, chips, cut pieces, flakes, or milled powder with the mesh stated. |
| Post harvest treatmentDeclared | Sun dried, mechanically dried, or alkali treated. Alkali treated weed and semi refined chips are separate products with their own gel specifications. |
| Colour and appearanceDeclared, against an agreed retained sample | Colour indicates the species, the maturity at cutting and the drying conditions. Bleached and faded weed usually means the crop was over exposed on the drying platform. |
Size and physical grading
4 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Particle sizeMillimetres, or mesh number on a stated sieve series | Determined by sieving a drawn sample. It applies to chips, cut weed and powder and it governs the extraction rate at the processing plant. |
| Frond lengthCentimetres | Measured on whole dried weed where the buyer needs a presentation size for the direct food trade. |
| Bale density and formatKilograms per bale, and the bale dimensions | Compressed bales, loose bales or bags, agreed because the format governs the container fill and the freight cost per tonne. |
| UniformityPercentage outside the stated band, maximum | Fines in a chip lot and oversize in a powder lot are both defects, measured on the sieve fractions. |
Composition and laboratory analysis
10 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| MoisturePercentage by mass, maximum | Determined by oven drying. Seaweed is hygroscopic and it regains moisture on a humid voyage, so moisture is contracted at both shipment and discharge. |
| Clean anhydrous weedPercentage by mass | The bone dry weed remaining after salt, sand and foreign matter are removed from a drawn sample. It is the true commercial content of the lot and the price is normally struck against it. |
| Salt contentPercentage by mass | Determined by titration or by conductivity on a washed extract. Salt is carried in from the sea water and it is a weight term, not a quality term. |
| Sand and insoluble matterPercentage by mass, maximum | Determined by washing and ashing a drawn sample. Sand comes off the drying platform and it is abrasive in the extraction plant. |
| Gel strengthGrams per square centimetre, on a stated gel concentration and method | Measured on the extracted hydrocolloid under an agreed protocol. It is the performance term the processor actually buys. |
| Hydrocolloid yieldPercentage by mass, on a clean anhydrous weed basis | The carrageenan, agar or alginate recovered from the weed under a stated laboratory extraction. Yield and gel strength together define the value of the lot. |
| ViscosityMillipascal seconds, at a stated concentration and temperature | Measured on the extracted solution. It matters for alginate and for the food grade carrageenans. |
| Sulphate contentPercentage by mass | Governs which carrageenan fraction the weed yields and how the gel behaves with dairy protein. |
| Ash and acid insoluble ashPercentage by mass | The mineral load, separating the salt that washes out from the sand that does not. |
| Heavy metals and iodineMilligrams per kilogram | Seaweeds concentrate metals and iodine from sea water. Arsenic in the brown kelps and iodine in the direct food species are the two terms destinations regulate most closely. |
Cleanliness, contamination and food safety
10 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. |
| Foreign weed speciesPercentage by mass, maximum | Other algae mixed into the crop, separated by hand from a drawn sample. Mixed species extract differently and they dilute the gel performance. |
| Epiphytes, shell and ropePercentage by mass, maximum | Attached organisms, shell fragments and cut lengths of cultivation rope, separated and weighed. |
| Mould and fermentationPercentage by mass, maximum | Under dried baled weed heats and ferments in the container. It arrives dark, sour and with the gel strength gone. |
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. |
| Baling and container stuffingDeclared | Bale weight, the wrapping and the stuffing plan, because compressed weed will heat if it is baled wet and packed tight. |
| Food grade or industrial gradeDeclared | Direct food grade weed ships under the food hygiene rules of the destination. Industrial extraction grade ships against the processor specification. |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Vietnam | Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang and the Mekong delta | Origin and destination |
| Thailand | Samut Sakhon, Songkhla and the Andaman coast | Origin and destination |
| China | Shandong, Fujian, Guangdong and Hainan | Origin and destination |
| South Korea | Jeollanam-do and the southern island fisheries | Origin and destination |
| Japan | Hokkaido, Kyushu and the Seto Inland Sea | Origin and destination |
| India | Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh | Origin and destination |
| Sri Lanka | Northern and eastern coastal fisheries | Origin and destination |
| Tanzania | Zanzibar, Pemba and the Mafia channel | Origin and destination |
| Madagascar | Toliara, Mahajanga and the northwest lagoons | Origin and destination |
| Mozambique | Nampula, Sofala and the Quirimbas | Origin and destination |
| Chile | Coquimbo, Valparaiso and the southern fjords | Origin and destination |
| Peru | Pacific coast and the Humboldt current fishery | Origin and destination |
| Mexico | Baja California, Sonora and the Yucatan shelf | Origin and destination |
| Brazil | Northeast coast and the Amazon estuary | Origin and destination |
| Argentina | Patagonian shelf and the Buenos Aires ports | Origin and destination |
| United States | Alaska, the Gulf coast, New England and the Pacific northwest | Origin and destination |
| Canada | Atlantic provinces and British Columbia | Origin and destination |
| France | Boulogne, Brittany and the Mediterranean market | Destination |
| Spain | Galicia, Andalusia and the Cantabrian coast | Origin and destination |
| Portugal | Algarve, Peniche and the Atlantic ports | Origin and destination |
| Norway | Nordland, Troms and the Lofoten grounds | Origin and destination |
| Iceland | North Atlantic demersal and pelagic grounds | Origin and destination |
| United Kingdom | Grimsby and the London wholesale market | Destination |
| Saint Lucia | Eastern Caribbean coastal waters | 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 Arab Emirates | Dubai re-export and Gulf consumption | Destination |
| Netherlands | Rotterdam import and European distribution | Destination |
| Germany | Hamburg and Bremerhaven import | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecKappaphycus and Eucheuma are cut on a continuous forty five day cultivation cycle, with the dry monsoon giving the best drying. |
| Philippines | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecYear round line cultivation in the southern islands, with volume dipping through the typhoon months. |
| Chile | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Oct to Apr, arrival Dec to JunWild Gracilaria and kelp harvest concentrated in the southern summer. | |||
| China | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Apr to Nov, arrival May to DecKelp and Gracilaria harvest in spring and late autumn on the Shandong and Fujian coasts. | |||||
| South Korea | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Oct to Apr, arrival Nov to MayCold season Porphyra and Undaria harvest. | ||||
| Tanzania | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecZanzibar and Pemba line farms cutting on a rolling cycle through the year. |
| India | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Sep to May, arrival Oct to JunTamil Nadu cultivation and Gujarat wild harvest outside the monsoon. | ||
| Morocco | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jun to Oct, arrival Jul to NovRegulated Gelidium harvest season on the Atlantic coast. |
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 seaweed. 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 heading1212.21 Seaweeds and other algae, fit for human consumption
1212.29 Seaweeds and other algae, other - 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 seaweed does SIP Global trade?
We quote 39 published grades of seaweed, including Species - Declared, by scientific name, Cultivated or wild - Declared, Form - Declared, Post harvest treatment - Declared, Colour and appearance - Declared, against an agreed retained sample and Particle size - Millimetres, or mesh number on a stated sieve series. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is seaweed graded?
Seaweed is contracted on the species, on how clean and how dry the weed is, and on the gel performance of the hydrocolloid it yields. Clean anhydrous weed content is the term that converts a shipped tonne into usable raw material. 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 seaweed?
We trade seaweed in Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, China, South Korea and Japan and 25 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is seaweed harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Indonesia: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec; Philippines: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec; Chile: harvest oct to apr, arrival dec to jun; China: harvest apr to nov, arrival may to dec; South Korea: harvest oct to apr, arrival nov to may. 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 seaweed?
Seaweed is normally classified under HS 1212.21 (seaweeds and other algae, fit for human consumption) and HS 1212.29 (seaweeds and other algae, other). 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 seaweed?
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. 2 listed seaweed markets are 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.