Goji
The dried fruit of Lycium barbarum and Lycium chinense, a small red berry of the nightshade family grown chiefly on irrigated plantations in northwestern China and dried whole. Goji sells into the health food and supplement trade, breakfast cereal, snack and bar manufacture, tea and infusion blends, traditional Chinese medicine preparation, and increasingly into mainstream retail as a dried fruit in its own right. It is also processed into juice, concentrate, powder and extract. The berry is picked by hand over a long summer season in repeated passes, and both the species and the drying route are contract terms, because they change the colour, the texture and the price.
Listed goji markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Goji is contracted on species and drying route first, then on a size expressed as a count of berries per unit weight, then on moisture, sulphur and pesticide limits verified on a drawn sample.
Species, origin and drying route
12 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Lycium barbarumNamed on the contract | The commercial berry of the Ningxia trade. Larger, sweeter and the reference article. |
| Lycium chinenseNamed on the contract | A smaller, more bitter berry. A separate article, not a substitute. |
| Black goji, Lycium ruthenicumNamed on the contract | A distinct dark berry sold on anthocyanin content. Priced on a different basis entirely. |
| Geographic origin declarationNamed region, with the certificate of origin | Ningxia carries a protected designation in China and prices over other regions. The claim is documented or it is not made. |
| Sun driedDried in open air at origin, declared | The traditional route. Carries more colour variation and a higher polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon risk where fires are used nearby. |
| Mechanically driedDried in a tunnel, cabinet or belt dryer to a stated moisture | Tighter moisture control and a cleaner microbiological result. |
| Freeze driedLyophilised | A separate article with a different texture, moisture and price. |
| Alkali or dip treated before dryingDeclared | A traditional step that speeds drying by cracking the wax layer. Destination markets differ on what they permit. |
| SulphuredTreated with sulphur dioxide, with the residual level declared in milligrams per kilogram | Preserves the light colour. It is a declared allergen in most destination markets and it is capped by regulation, so the number is a contract term, not a process note. |
| Unsulphured, naturalNo sulphur treatment | Darker, and the market prices the colour difference. Required for most organic and clean label buyers. |
| OrganicCertified under the destination market scheme, with dedicated drying and packing lines | Named on the contract with the certifier and certificate number. |
| Consumer or industrial packDeclared, with the unit format | Industrial bulk and retail pack are separate products with separate specifications, not the same fruit in different boxes. |
Size and count
5 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Grains per 50 gramsNumber of berries in fifty grams | The controlling size term in the Chinese trade. A lower number means a larger berry and a higher price. The ladder runs in named steps and the contract carries the number, not the name. |
| Count per 100 gramsNumber of berries in one hundred grams | Used where the buyer contracts in metric hundreds. |
| Named size gradeSuccessive grades tied to a stated grains per fifty grams band | The name is shorthand for a count. |
| UniformityPercentage of berries within the contracted count band | Measured on a drawn sample. |
| Broken and shrivelled berriesMaximum percentage by mass | Counted separately from size, because they pass a screen but do not sell. |
Quality and condition
14 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| ColourInstrumental measurement, or against a sealed reference sample | Bright red is the commercial article. Darkening is an age and a heat indicator. |
| Polysaccharide contentPercentage by mass, by the stated method | The compositional term the supplement trade contracts on. |
| Carotenoid contentMilligrams per hundred grams, by HPLC | Contracted where the buyer sells on the functional claim. |
| Impurity berries and other speciesMaximum percentage by count | Adulteration with a cheaper species is the standing risk in this trade. |
| Moisture contentMaximum percentage by mass, by the stated method | The controlling commercial figure. It sets the weight, the shelf life and the mould risk all at once. |
| Water activityMaximum, measured at a stated temperature | The figure that actually governs microbial stability. Moisture alone will not tell you whether a lot is safe to hold. |
| UniformityPercentage of the sample within the contracted size and colour range | Measured on the drawn sample. |
| ColourAgainst a sealed reference sample, or an instrumental scale where one is contracted | Measured, not described. |
| Damaged and blemished unitsMaximum percentage by count or by mass | Mechanical damage, scarring, sunburn and discolouration, counted separately from decay. |
| Decay, mould and fermentationMaximum percentage by count or by mass | A zero tolerance term in most contracts, with a small allowance stated. |
| Insect damage and live infestationMaximum percentage by count, live insects nil | Determined by inspection of a drawn sample. Live infestation rejects a lot outright. |
| Foreign and extraneous matterMaximum percentage by mass | Stems, stones, leaves, sand, wood and any plant material other than the named fruit. |
| Pieces of the wrong formMaximum percentage by mass | Halves in a whole lot, broken pieces in a halves lot, and so on. Priced, because it is the most common quiet downgrade. |
| Sugaring and crystallisationMaximum percentage of units showing surface sugar | Cosmetic, but it is priced, and it moves with storage temperature rather than with the original quality. |
Contaminants and food safety
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Pesticide residues, extended panelMilligrams per kilogram against the destination market list | Goji has a long history of residue rejections in the European and North American markets. The panel is agreed before shipment and it is wider than the standard dried fruit screen. |
| AflatoxinsMicrograms per kilogram, B1 and total | Tested against the destination market limit. The single most common cause of rejection in dried fruit. |
| Sulphur dioxideMilligrams per kilogram | Measured whether or not the lot is declared sulphured, because carryover happens on shared lines. A declared allergen in most destination markets. |
| Pesticide residuesMilligrams per kilogram | Tested against destination market maximum residue limits. Dried fruit concentrates residues along with everything else, so the limit is applied to the dried product. |
| Heavy metalsMilligrams per kilogram | Lead, cadmium and arsenic. |
| Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbonsMicrograms per kilogram, benzo(a)pyrene and the sum of four | Comes from direct fire drying and smoke contact at origin. |
| MicrobiologyCounts per gram, with salmonella absence in the stated sample mass | Total plate count, yeasts, moulds, E. coli and salmonella. |
| Metal detection and X-rayDeclared detection thresholds for ferrous, non ferrous and stainless | Applied on the packing line and evidenced on the certificate. |
| IrradiationDeclared, treated or untreated | Destination markets differ on what they permit and on how it must be labelled. |
Certification and packing claims
7 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| OrganicCertificate under the destination market scheme | EU, NOP, JAS or an equivalence arrangement, named with the certifier and certificate number. |
| Fairtrade or equivalentCertificate and transaction certificate | Named scheme, with the transaction certificate issued for the specific lot. |
| Kosher and HalalCertificate from the named authority | Certificate travels with the lot. |
| Food safety schemeBRCGS, IFS, FSSC 22000 or an equivalent, named with the site | The packing site is named on the contract, not just the supplier. |
| Non GMODeclaration | Applies where the crop has a genetically modified counterpart. |
| PackingDeclared: carton, bag in box, vacuum, modified atmosphere or bulk bin, with the liner and net weight | Liner and atmosphere are contract terms, because they decide the moisture and the water activity on arrival rather than on shipment. |
| Storage and transit temperatureDeclared, with the range and the monitoring method | Sugaring, colour drift and moisture migration are all temperature effects. Where the contract is silent, the argument at destination is unwinnable. |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| China | Ningxia, Zhongning county, the reference origin | Origin and destination |
| China (Xinjiang) | Jinghe and the northwest | Origin and destination |
| China (Qinghai) | Chaidamu basin, high altitude organic production | Origin and destination |
| China (Gansu) | Jingyuan and the Yellow river corridor | Origin and destination |
| China (Inner Mongolia) | Wuyuan and the Hetao plain | Origin and destination |
| Mongolia | Southern provinces | Origin and destination |
| Tibet Autonomous Region | High plateau production | Origin and destination |
| Uzbekistan | Emerging plantation production | Origin and destination |
| Turkiye | Anatolia, emerging plantation production | Origin and destination |
| Italy | Emilia Romagna and Puglia, European plantation production | Origin and destination |
| Spain | Castilla La Mancha | Origin and destination |
| Portugal | Central and northern plantations | Origin and destination |
| Greece | Northern Greece | Origin and destination |
| Bulgaria | Thracian plain | Origin and destination |
| Romania | Southern plain | Origin and destination |
| Poland | Central Poland | Origin and destination |
| United States | Pacific Northwest and the Southwest | Origin and destination |
| Canada | British Columbia and Ontario | Origin and destination |
| Chile | Central valley | Origin and destination |
| Peru | Andean valleys | Origin and destination |
| Germany | Hamburg, health food and supplement manufacture | Destination |
| Netherlands | Rotterdam | Destination |
| United Kingdom | London and Felixstowe | Destination |
| France | Le Havre and Marseille | Destination |
| Italy (import) | Genoa | Destination |
| Spain (import) | Valencia | Destination |
| Poland (import) | Gdansk, repacking | Destination |
| Russia | Moscow and Vladivostok | Destination |
| United States (import) | Los Angeles and New York | Destination |
| Canada (import) | Vancouver | Destination |
| Brazil | Santos | Destination |
| Australia | Sydney and Melbourne | Destination |
| Japan | Tokyo and Yokohama | Destination |
| South Korea | Busan | Destination |
| Taiwan | Kaohsiung | Destination |
| Vietnam | Ho Chi Minh City | Destination |
| Malaysia | Port Klang | Destination |
| India | Mumbai and Delhi | Destination |
Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.
Timing
Harvest is when 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, grading and the voyage.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jun to Oct, arrival Aug to MarNingxia, Zhongning. Picked in repeated passes from early summer to autumn, dried and graded, then shipped through the winter and spring. The reference origin and the price setter. | ||
| China (Xinjiang) | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jul to Sep, arrival Sep to JanJinghe. A large, dry climate crop with a distinct colour. | |||||
| China (Qinghai) | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jul to Sep, arrival Sep to JanChaidamu basin. High altitude, low pest pressure, and the main source of certified organic supply. | |||||
| China (Gansu) | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jul to Sep, arrival Sep to DecJingyuan and the Yellow river corridor. | ||||||
| China (Inner Mongolia) | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jul to Sep, arrival Sep to DecWuyuan and the Hetao plain. | ||||||
| Italy | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Aug to Oct, arrival Oct to DecEmilia Romagna and Puglia. European plantation production sold on origin and on a European residue profile. | |||||||
| Spain | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Aug to Oct, arrival Oct to DecCastilla La Mancha. | |||||||
| United States | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Aug to Oct, arrival Oct to DecPacific Northwest and the Southwest, small volume. | |||||||
| Chile | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Feb to Apr, arrival Apr to JunCentral valley. Southern hemisphere counter season supply. |
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 goji. 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 heading0813.40 Other dried fruit, including goji (wolfberry)
- PackingCartons of 5 kg to 12.5 kg or PP bags of 10 kg to 25 kg with food grade liner. Sulphur dioxide treatment, sorbate treatment and any added oil must be declared on the specification and the label.
- Container loading20ft: 12 t to 18 t. 40ft is normally volume limited. Chilled stow for high moisture grades such as soft prunes and semi dried figs.
- Contract and arbitrationINC and Dried Fruit and Edible Nut trade standards, European trade on the trade contract with arbitration in London, United States trade on Association of Food Industries contracts.
- Destination limitsEU sulphur dioxide limits under Regulation 1333/2008 with mandatory declaration above 10 mg/kg, ochratoxin A limits on dried vine fruit and aflatoxin limits on dried figs under Regulation 2023/915, and pesticide MRLs under Regulation 396/2005. US FDA requires sulphite declaration.
Common questions
What grades of goji does SIP Global trade?
We quote 47 published grades of goji, including Lycium barbarum - Named on the contract, Lycium chinense - Named on the contract, Black goji, Lycium ruthenicum - Named on the contract, Geographic origin declaration - Named region, with the certificate of origin, Sun dried - Dried in open air at origin, declared and Mechanically dried - Dried in a tunnel, cabinet or belt dryer to a stated moisture. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is goji graded?
Goji is contracted on species and drying route first, then on a size expressed as a count of berries per unit weight, then on moisture, sulphur and pesticide limits verified on a drawn sample. Grading runs on 5 systems: Species, origin and drying route, Size and count, Quality and condition, Contaminants and food safety and Certification and packing claims.
Where does SIP Global trade goji?
We trade goji in China, China (Xinjiang), China (Qinghai), China (Gansu), China (Inner Mongolia), Mongolia, Tibet Autonomous Region and Uzbekistan and 30 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is goji harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are China: harvest jun to oct, arrival aug to mar; China (Xinjiang): harvest jul to sep, arrival sep to jan; China (Qinghai): harvest jul to sep, arrival sep to jan; China (Gansu): harvest jul to sep, arrival sep to dec; China (Inner Mongolia): harvest jul to sep, arrival sep to dec. 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 goji?
Goji is normally classified under HS 0813.40 (other dried fruit, including goji (wolfberry)). 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 goji?
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 goji 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.
- 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.