Pine Nut
The pine nut is the edible seed of a small number of pine species whose cones carry seeds large enough to harvest. The commercial trade is not one product but several, each tied to a species and a forest. Chilgoza comes from Pinus gerardiana in the dry temperate belt of the western Himalaya. Siberian pine nut comes from Pinus sibirica and Pinus koraiensis across Siberia, Mongolia and northeast China. Mediterranean pine nut comes from Pinus pinea in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Turkiye. Nearly all supply is collected from wild or semi managed stands rather than orchards, because the trees take decades to bear. Cones are gathered, dried until they open, and the seeds are extracted and shelled. The kernel is soft, oily and delicate, and goes into pesto, pastry and confectionery, rice and pilaf dishes, salads and roasted snacks.
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Listed pine nut markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Price guarantee on pine nut
If a move in the pine nut price would hurt you, fix the price now. We agree it today for the months you name, and it holds whatever the market does in between.
| Buying | You use or resell pine nut and need to know your cost. We fix your purchase price for the quantity and months you name. |
|---|---|
| Selling | You grow, produce or hold pine nut and need to know your revenue. We fix your sale price ahead of production or shipment. |
| Settlement | Against delivery of the pine nut. |
A price is fixed only once a trader confirms it in writing. Request a fixed price.
Caps and floors on pine nut
A fixed price binds buyer and seller. A cap or a floor is a guaranteed price on one side only. You pay a fee up front for it, and it is a right, not an obligation: you use it only if the market moves against you.
| Cap | For buyers. A guaranteed maximum price for pine nut. If the market is above the cap when you buy, you pay the cap. If it is below, you buy at the market price and let the cap lapse. |
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| Floor | For sellers. A guaranteed minimum price for pine nut. If the market is below the floor when you sell, you receive the floor. If it is above, you sell at the market price and let the floor lapse. |
| Fee | Agreed and paid up front. It is the whole cost of the cap or floor, and it is not refunded if the cap or floor goes unused. |
A cap or a floor is in place only once a trader confirms it in writing. Request a cap or a floor.
Grades
Pine nut kernel is graded by species first, then on kernel integrity, colour, moisture and defect tolerance. Species must be declared because kernels of different species are not interchangeable and are priced separately.
Species declaration
6 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Pinus gerardianaChilgoza | A long slender cylindrical kernel from the western Himalaya, traded from Pakistan, Afghanistan and India. |
| Pinus sibiricaSiberian pine nut | A short rounded kernel from Siberia and Mongolia. |
| Pinus koraiensisKorean pine nut | A wedge shaped kernel from northeast China, the Russian Far East and Korea. The largest volume species in world trade. |
| Pinus pineaMediterranean stone pine | A long slender kernel from Spain, Portugal, Italy and Turkiye. The highest value species. |
| Pinus cembraSwiss stone pine | A small Alpine kernel, traded in limited volume. |
| Pinus edulis and Pinus monophyllaPinyon pine | North American desert species collected in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. |
Kernel integrity and presentation
5 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Whole kernelIntact | A complete kernel. The contract states the minimum percentage of wholes. |
| Broken and splitFractured | Kernel split or broken but not reduced to fragments. |
| PiecesSized on a stated aperture | Fragments screened to a stated particle size range. |
| ShelledTesta removed | The seed coat has been removed. The contract states the maximum percentage of kernels retaining testa. |
| InshellSeed coat intact | Seed sold in the hard shell, common for Chilgoza sold for roasting and hand cracking. |
Quality class and defects
6 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Extra ClassSuperior quality | Kernels free from defects apart from very slight superficial ones. |
| Class IGood quality | Slight defects in shape, colour and superficial damage permitted within stated tolerances. |
| Class IIMarketable quality | The widest tolerances, meeting the minimum requirements only. |
| RancidityPercentage by count | Pine nut is high in unsaturated oil and rancids quickly. Rancid kernel is capped separately by class and is the primary quality risk in storage. |
| Discoloured and shrivelledPercentage by count | Yellowed, brown tipped, shrivelled and empty kernels are each capped by class. |
| Foreign matterPercentage by weight | Shell, cone debris, resin and foreign matter are capped by weight. |
Moisture and storage
3 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| MoisturePercentage by weight | Kernel is dried to a low moisture level. The contract states the maximum, which is set low because the oil content makes the kernel unstable. |
| Cold chainTemperature in degrees Celsius | Because of rancidity risk, pine nut is often contracted for chilled or frozen storage and transport. The contract states the temperature. |
| Vacuum or gas flushPacking declaration | Vacuum packing or nitrogen flushing is commonly specified to slow oxidation, and is stated on the contract. |
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 | East Asia | Origin and destination |
| Russia | Europe | Origin and destination |
| Mongolia | East Asia | Origin |
| Pakistan | South Asia | Origin |
| Afghanistan | Central Asia | Origin |
| India | South Asia | Origin and destination |
| Spain | Europe | Origin and destination |
| Portugal | Europe | Origin and destination |
| Italy | Europe | Origin and destination |
| Turkiye | Europe | Origin and destination |
| Tunisia | North Africa | Origin |
| South Korea | East Asia | Origin and destination |
| North Korea | East Asia | Origin |
| United States | North America | Origin and destination |
| Mexico | North America | Origin and destination |
| Germany | Europe | Destination |
| France | Europe | Destination |
| United Kingdom | Europe | Destination |
| Netherlands | Europe | Destination |
| Japan | East Asia | Destination |
| Canada | North America | Destination |
| Australia | Oceania | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Oct to Dec, arrival Dec to FebChilgoza cones collected in Chitral, Diamer and Zhob from October, shelled over the winter. | |||||||
| Afghanistan | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Oct to Dec, arrival Dec to FebChilgoza from Paktia, Khost and Kunar, collected from October and largely exported through Pakistan and the Gulf. | |||||||
| India | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Harvest Oct to Nov, arrival Dec to JanChilgoza from Kinnaur and Uttarakhand, collected from October. | ||||||||
| Russia | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Sep to Nov, arrival Nov to FebSiberian pine cone collection from September in the taiga, shelling and export through the winter. | ||||||
| Mongolia | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Sep to Oct, arrival Nov to JanCollection from September, most of it moving into China for shelling. | |||||||
| China | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Sep to Nov, arrival Nov to FebKorean pine collection in Heilongjiang and Jilin from September. China is also the main shelling and re export hub. | ||||||
| Spain | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest Nov to Mar, arrival Mar to MayPinus pinea cones collected through the winter, with kernel extraction running into spring. | |||||
| Portugal | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest Dec to Mar, arrival Mar to MayAlentejo cone collection through the winter on the Iberian pattern. | ||||||
| Italy | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest Nov to Feb, arrival Mar to MayTuscan and Lazio coastal stands collected through the winter. | |||||
| Turkiye | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest Nov to Feb, arrival Mar to MayAegean and Mediterranean coastal stands collected through the winter. |
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 pine nut. 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 heading0802.91 Pine nuts, in shell
0802.92 Pine 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 pine nut does SIP Global trade?
We quote 20 published grades of pine nut, including Pinus gerardiana - Chilgoza, Pinus sibirica - Siberian pine nut, Pinus koraiensis - Korean pine nut, Pinus pinea - Mediterranean stone pine, Pinus cembra - Swiss stone pine and Pinus edulis and Pinus monophylla - Pinyon pine. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is pine nut graded?
Pine nut kernel is graded by species first, then on kernel integrity, colour, moisture and defect tolerance. Species must be declared because kernels of different species are not interchangeable and are priced separately. Grading runs on 4 systems: Species declaration, Kernel integrity and presentation, Quality class and defects and Moisture and storage.
Where does SIP Global trade pine nut?
We trade pine nut in China, Russia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Spain and Portugal and 14 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is pine nut harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Pakistan: harvest oct to dec, arrival dec to feb; Afghanistan: harvest oct to dec, arrival dec to feb; India: harvest oct to nov, arrival dec to jan; Russia: harvest sep to nov, arrival nov to feb; Mongolia: harvest sep to oct, arrival nov to jan. 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 pine nut?
Pine nut is normally classified under HS 0802.91 (pine nuts, in shell) and HS 0802.92 (pine 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.
Can I fix a pine nut price ahead?
Yes. SIP Global fixes a pine nut price ahead for buyers and for sellers, as a price guarantee. Send the grade, the quantity and the months you need covered. We settle against delivery, and a price is fixed only once a trader confirms it in writing.
How do I get a price for pine nut?
Send the grade, the origin and the delivery window to SIP Global. That is enough for a trader to come back with a level and a settlement route. 13 listed pine nut markets are published on this page, each with its full specification and terms. We buy and sell the physical cargo, 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 Comtrade (opens in new tab)Official international trade statistics by HS code
- ITC Trade Map (opens in new tab)Bilateral trade flows and tariff data
- FAOSTAT (opens in new tab)FAO production and trade series for agricultural commodities