Octopus
Octopus is a benthic cephalopod taken in artisanal pot, trap and hand line fisheries and in coastal trawl fisheries, then chilled, cleaned and frozen close to the landing site. Octopus vulgaris from the Atlantic coast of Northwest Africa and the Iberian peninsula is the reference product of the trade, with Pacific and Indian Ocean species supplying the balance. It is a mainstream protein in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Japan and Korea, where it is boiled, grilled, braised or served raw, and it is a growing item in North American and Northern European foodservice. Almost the entire trade moves frozen, either as individually frozen whole animals or as blocks.
Listed octopus markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Octopus is contracted on the species, on the size band, on how it was dressed and frozen, and on the glaze and net weight terms that decide what the buyer is actually paying for.
Species identity and product form
6 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| SpeciesDeclared, by scientific name | Octopus vulgaris, Octopus maya, Eledone species, Amphioctopus species or Enteroctopus dofleini. Species drives texture, colour and price, and substitution between them is a recognised fraud risk. |
| Fishery methodDeclared | Pot and trap, hand line, or trawl. Pot caught animals arrive undamaged and they carry the premium over trawl caught product. |
| DressingDeclared | Whole ungutted, whole cleaned with the beak, eyes and viscera removed, whole cleaned with the skin left on, flower cut, or separated tentacles. |
| Cooking stateDeclared | Raw, or pre-cooked and frozen. Pre-cooked product ships ready for portioning and it is contracted with its own yield terms. |
| TenderisationDeclared, with the method | Mechanical tumbling, freezing and thawing cycles, or no treatment. Any additive assisted treatment is declared, because several destinations restrict it. |
| Freezing methodDeclared | Individually quick frozen, interleaved, or frozen in a block, with the freezing plant and the core temperature achieved. |
Size and physical grading
6 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| T size gradeKilograms per piece, in the T bands | The Atlantic trade grades whole octopus into T bands by piece weight. T1 covers four kilograms and up, T2 three to four, T3 two to three, T4 one and a half to two, T5 one and two tenths to one and a half, T6 eight tenths to one and two tenths, T7 five tenths to eight tenths, and T8 three tenths to five tenths. The band is verified by weighing every piece in a drawn carton. |
| Piece weight tolerancePercentage by count outside the band, maximum | No sorting line is perfect, so the contract states how much of the drawn sample may fall outside the T band before the lot is downgraded. |
| Uniformity within the cartonDeclared | Whether the carton is single graded or mixed, because a foodservice buyer portions from the carton directly. |
| Colour and skin conditionDeclared, against an agreed retained sample | Intact unbroken skin with the natural colour. Skin loss and white patching indicate rough handling or a slow freeze. |
| Physical damagePercentage by count, maximum | Cut mantles, torn tentacles and missing arms, counted on a drawn carton. |
| PresentationDeclared | Arms curled and set to a uniform shape, or loose. Presentation is contracted where the product goes to retail display. |
Composition and laboratory analysis
7 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| GlazePercentage of gross weight | Determined by weighing the frozen piece, thawing off the ice under an agreed protocol and reweighing. Glaze protects the product but it is water, and the percentage is a contract term. |
| Net weight after deglazingKilograms | The weight the contract is actually written on. Stated explicitly to remove any argument at discharge. |
| Core temperatureDegrees Celsius | Measured with a probe on arrival. It evidences whether the cold chain held from the freezing plant to the discharge port. |
| Drip loss on thawingPercentage by mass | Measured under an agreed thawing protocol. High drip loss indicates repeated freezing and thawing or an added water treatment. |
| Added water and phosphatePercentage, and milligrams per kilogram | Soaking treatments add weight and they are restricted or must be declared in most destinations. Determined by moisture to protein ratio and by phosphate analysis. |
| Moisture to protein ratioRatio | The objective test for water addition, run where the drip loss or the yield looks wrong. |
| Total volatile basic nitrogenMilligrams per hundred grams, maximum | The freshness measure on the raw material at the point of freezing. It is the number that shows whether the animal was frozen promptly after landing. |
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. |
| Sand in the suckersDeclared, against an agreed retained sample | Benthic animals carry sand. It is assessed by washing a drawn sample and it is the most common quality complaint on trawl caught product. |
| Ink and viscera residueDeclared | Residual ink sac or viscera left after cleaning, assessed on a drawn carton. |
| Freezer burnPercentage by count, maximum | Dehydrated white patches from an inadequate glaze or a broken cold chain, counted on a drawn carton. |
Delivery, documentation and certification
11 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. |
| Carrying temperatureDegrees Celsius | Contracted at the deep frozen carriage standard, with a temperature recorder in the container and the download provided at discharge. |
| Interleaving and block formatDeclared | Individually wrapped, interleaved with film, or solid block with the block weight stated. |
| Catch certificateCertificate, validated by the flag state | Required for entry into the European Union and for several other destinations under the illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing rules. |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Morocco | Agadir, Dakhla and the Atlantic coast | Origin and destination |
| Mauritania | Nouadhibou and the Banc d Arguin shelf | Origin and destination |
| Senegal | Dakar and the Petite Cote | Origin and destination |
| Spain | Galicia, Andalusia and the Cantabrian coast | Origin and destination |
| Portugal | Algarve, Peniche and the Atlantic ports | Origin and destination |
| Italy | Sicily, Puglia and the Adriatic | Origin and destination |
| Greece | Aegean and Ionian coastal fisheries | Origin and destination |
| Mexico | Baja California, Sonora and the Yucatan shelf | Origin and destination |
| United States | Alaska, the Gulf coast, New England and the Pacific northwest | Origin and destination |
| Japan | Hokkaido, Kyushu and the Seto Inland Sea | Origin and destination |
| South Korea | Jeollanam-do and the southern island fisheries | Origin and destination |
| China | Shandong, Fujian, Guangdong and Hainan | 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 |
| Philippines | Visayas, Palawan and Mindanao | Origin and destination |
| Indonesia | Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara, Java and Maluku | Origin and destination |
| India | Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh | Origin and destination |
| Australia | Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia | Origin and destination |
| New Zealand | South Island and Chatham Rise fisheries | Origin and destination |
| Turkiye | Black Sea and Aegean coasts | Origin and destination |
| France | Boulogne, Brittany and the Mediterranean market | Destination |
| Netherlands | Rotterdam import and European distribution | Destination |
| United Kingdom | Grimsby and the London wholesale market | Destination |
| Germany | Hamburg and Bremerhaven import | Destination |
| Hong Kong | Sheung Wan dried seafood trade and re-export into mainland China | Destination and trading hub |
| Singapore | Regional trading, finance and re-export | Trading and finance |
| Brazil | Northeast coast and the Amazon estuary | Origin and destination |
| Argentina | Patagonian shelf and the Buenos Aires ports | Origin and destination |
| Egypt | Red Sea and Mediterranean coasts | Origin and 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 | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jan to Sep, arrival Mar to NovTwo regulated seasons on the Atlantic coast, opened and closed by the fisheries authority on a stock assessment. | |
| Mauritania | Harvest and arrival | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jan to Nov, arrival Mar to JanNouadhibou pot fishery working around the biological rest periods. | |
| Spain | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Oct to May, arrival Nov to JunGalician pot fishery, with a closure through the spawning months. | |||
| Mexico | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Aug to Dec, arrival Oct to FebYucatan shelf season under a fixed opening and closing date. | |||||
| Vietnam | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Mar to Sep, arrival May to NovCoastal trap and trawl landings through the calmer months. | |||
| Indonesia | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Apr to Oct, arrival Jun to DecArtisanal hand line and trap fisheries in the dry monsoon. | |||
| India | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Sep to Mar, arrival Nov to MayPost monsoon landings on the southwest and southeast coasts. | |||
| Senegal | 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 JunPetite Cote pot fishery, with the season set around the biological rest. |
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 octopus. 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 heading0307.52 Octopus, frozen
0307.59 Octopus, other, including dried, salted 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 octopus does SIP Global trade?
We quote 40 published grades of octopus, including Species - Declared, by scientific name, Fishery method - Declared, Dressing - Declared, Cooking state - Declared, Tenderisation - Declared, with the method and Freezing method - Declared. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is octopus graded?
Octopus is contracted on the species, on the size band, on how it was dressed and frozen, and on the glaze and net weight terms that decide what the buyer is actually paying for. 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 octopus?
We trade octopus in Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece and Mexico and 21 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is octopus harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Morocco: harvest jan to sep, arrival mar to nov; Mauritania: harvest jan to nov, arrival mar to jan; Spain: harvest oct to may, arrival nov to jun; Mexico: harvest aug to dec, arrival oct to feb; Vietnam: harvest mar to sep, arrival may 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 octopus?
Octopus is normally classified under HS 0307.52 (octopus, frozen) and HS 0307.59 (octopus, other, including dried, salted 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 octopus?
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 octopus 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.