Macadamia
The macadamia is the kernel of Macadamia integrifolia and Macadamia tetraphylla, evergreen trees native to the subtropical rainforest of eastern Australia and now grown commercially in Australia, South Africa, Kenya, Malawi, China, Guatemala and Hawaii. It carries an exceptionally hard shell, so the crop moves in two forms: nut in shell, dried down for storage and shipment to cracking plants, and kernel, the finished creamy white nut. Macadamia has the highest fat content of any common tree nut, most of it monounsaturated, which gives it a soft texture and a short shelf life once the oil is exposed. Whole kernel styles go to premium snack packing and gifting. Halves and pieces go into chocolate, ice cream, bakery, cereal and nut butters. Smaller chips, bits and fines go into coatings and inclusions, and pressed macadamia oil is used in food and in cosmetics.
Listed macadamia markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Macadamia kernel is graded by style, which fixes how much of the lot must be whole kernel and how small the remaining pieces may be, measured on square hole sieves. Colour, moisture and defects are graded alongside it.
Kernel style
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Style 0Wholes | At least 95 per cent whole kernels. The remainder is pieces, of which no more than 1 per cent will pass a 6.25 mm square opening. |
| Style IWholes | At least 90 per cent whole kernels. The remainder is pieces, of which no more than 1 per cent will pass a 6.25 mm square opening. |
| Style IIWholes and halves | At least 50 per cent whole kernels. The remainder is pieces, of which no more than 2 per cent will pass a 7.8 mm square opening. |
| Style IIICocktail | At least 90 per cent half kernels or larger, including at least 15 per cent whole kernels. No more than 2 per cent of the remainder will pass a 6.25 mm square opening. |
| Style IVHalves and pieces | At least 50 per cent half kernels, with the remainder pieces and no more than 5 per cent larger than half kernels. |
| Style VLarge diced | Units smaller than half kernels. No more than 5 per cent will pass a 7.8 mm by 25 mm opening and no more than 2 per cent will pass a 2.34 mm square opening. |
| Style VIChips | At least 95 per cent pass a 7.8 mm by 25 mm opening, but no more than 2 per cent pass a 2.34 mm square opening. |
| Style VIIBits and diced | Units smaller than half kernels. At least 95 per cent pass a 7.8 mm square opening but no more than 10 per cent pass a 2.34 mm square opening. |
| Style VIIIFines | Broken, chipped or chopped kernel. All units pass a 6.25 mm square opening and most also pass a 2.34 mm square opening. |
Style IV size range
3 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Style IV LLarge | Kernel size larger than 16 mm round caliber. |
| Style IV MMedium | Kernel size 14 mm to 16 mm round caliber. |
| Style IV SSmall | Kernel size 10 mm to 14 mm round caliber. |
Moisture and processing
3 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Kernel moistureBelow 1.5 per cent | Kernel is dried to below 1.5 per cent moisture. Above that the nut loses crispness and shelf life shortens sharply. |
| Nut in shell moistureBelow 3.5 per cent | Nut in shell is dried to below 3.5 per cent before cracking or shipment. |
| Drying temperatureMaximum 60 degrees Celsius | Drying must not exceed 60 degrees Celsius. Higher temperatures scorch the kernel and drive rancidity. |
Nut in shell quality
3 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Sound kernel recoveryPercentage by weight | The weight of sound kernel recovered from a cracked sample, expressed as a percentage of the nut in shell weight. This is the primary value driver on a nut in shell contract. |
| Nut diameterRound hole sieve in millimetres | Nut in shell is screened over round hole sieves and the contract states the diameter band. Where a seller works to a standard other than UNECE, the contract must state whether sizing is by round or square hole sieve. |
| MoisturePercentage by weight | Nut in shell is dried below 3.5 per cent moisture so that it can be stored and shipped without mould. |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Oceania | Origin and destination |
| South Africa | Southern Africa | Origin and destination |
| Kenya | East Africa | Origin |
| Malawi | Southern Africa | Origin |
| Zimbabwe | Southern Africa | Origin |
| Mozambique | East Africa | Origin |
| Tanzania | East Africa | Origin |
| Guatemala | Central America | Origin |
| Brazil | South America | Origin and destination |
| Costa Rica | Central America | Origin |
| China | East Asia | Origin and destination |
| Vietnam | Southeast Asia | Origin and destination |
| United States | North America | Origin and destination |
| Canada | North America | Destination |
| Japan | East Asia | Destination |
| South Korea | East Asia | Destination |
| Germany | Europe | Destination |
| Netherlands | Europe | Destination |
| United Kingdom | Europe | Destination |
| United Arab Emirates | Middle East | Origin and destination |
| New Zealand | Oceania | 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 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Mar to Sep, arrival Jun to OctMain harvest runs from March through September in Queensland and northern New South Wales. | ||||
| South Africa | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Mar to Jul, arrival Jun to SepHarvest from March. A large share is cracked locally and exported as kernel. | |||||
| Kenya | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Mar to Jul, arrival Jun to SepHarvest from March to July. Export of raw nut in shell is restricted, so the crop mainly ships as kernel. | |||||
| Malawi | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Feb to Jun, arrival May to AugHarvest opens in February, earlier than most of the region. | |||||
| China | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Aug to Oct, arrival Oct to DecYunnan and Guangxi crop, harvested in the second half of the year and largely consumed domestically as roasted nut in shell. | |||||||
| Guatemala | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jul to Oct, arrival Oct to DecHarvest in the second half of the year, shipping mainly into North America. | ||||||
| Brazil | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jan to Apr, arrival Apr to JunSao Paulo, Bahia and Espirito Santo crop, harvested early in the calendar year. | ||||||
| United States | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Aug to Jan, arrival Sep to FebHawaii harvests across a long window centred on the last quarter of the year. |
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 macadamia. 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 heading0802.61 Macadamia nuts, in shell
0802.62 Macadamia nuts, shelled - PackingIn shell in jute or PP woven bags of 25 kg to 50 kg. Kernels vacuum packed in cartons or tins of 10 kg to 25 kg, nitrogen flushed for high oil content nuts. Moisture at pack is the specification that decides shelf life.
- Container loading20ft: 14 t to 19 t. In shell is weight limited, kernel is volume limited. Reefer at 5 to 10 degrees Celsius for long transits on high oil kernels.
- Contract and arbitrationINC quality standards with the Dried Fruit and Edible Nut trade contract in Europe, arbitration in London, and Association of Food Industries contracts with AFI arbitration for United States trade.
- Destination limitsEU aflatoxin limits under Regulation 2023/915, being 2 ug/kg B1 and 4 ug/kg total for ready to eat nuts and higher where the lot is to be sorted before consumption. Salmonella controls, and increased official controls under Regulation 2019/1793 for several origins. US FDA action level of 20 ug/kg total aflatoxin.
Common questions
What grades of macadamia does SIP Global trade?
We quote 18 published grades of macadamia, including Style 0 - Wholes, Style I - Wholes, Style II - Wholes and halves, Style III - Cocktail, Style IV - Halves and pieces and Style V - Large diced. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is macadamia graded?
Macadamia kernel is graded by style, which fixes how much of the lot must be whole kernel and how small the remaining pieces may be, measured on square hole sieves. Colour, moisture and defects are graded alongside it. Grading runs on 4 systems: Kernel style, Style IV size range, Moisture and processing and Nut in shell quality.
Where does SIP Global trade macadamia?
We trade macadamia in Australia, South Africa, Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania and Guatemala and 13 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is macadamia harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Australia: harvest mar to sep, arrival jun to oct; South Africa: harvest mar to jul, arrival jun to sep; Kenya: harvest mar to jul, arrival jun to sep; Malawi: harvest feb to jun, arrival may to aug; China: harvest aug to oct, arrival oct 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 macadamia?
Macadamia is normally classified under HS 0802.61 (macadamia nuts, in shell) and HS 0802.62 (macadamia nuts, shelled). 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 macadamia?
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 macadamia 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.
- 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.