To import cashew nuts from Vietnam, define the grade and packing, check that the supplier is a certified processor, test samples, then sign a contract that states quantity in cartons and kilograms, the Incoterm, the food safety limits for your market and the documents required. The supplier produces, inspects and loads the container; you arrange freight if buying FOB, and clear the goods under your own country’s food import rules.
Step 1 — What exactly are you buying?
Start with three decisions. Grade: white wholes such as WW320 or WW240 for snacking and retail, or pieces such as LP for bakery and ingredients; grade names follow the AFI specification. Packing: 22.68 kg (50 lb) vacuum bags in cartons for bulk, or tins and retail packs for other channels. Volume: a 20ft container holds 700 cartons of 22.68 kg, or 15,876 kg.
Step 2 — How do you check the supplier?
Ask whether the company processes kernels in its own factory or trades them, and check that the factory address appears on its food safety certificates. Ask for current certificates — for example BRCGS, HACCP and Halal where relevant — and confirm them with the issuing body. A processor that controls grading and packing can answer questions about a specific lot; a trader has to pass them on.
Step 3 — How do samples and quotations work?
Request samples of the exact grade and packing you will buy; SVC sends samples under 1 kg free. A quotation should state the grade, price per kg, Incoterm and port, packing, shipment period and payment terms. Compare offers only on the same basis — see our guide to cashew prices per kg.
Step 4 — What goes into the contract?
- Quantity in cartons and net kilograms, with the packing format — see cashew 20ft container capacity.
- Quality: grade and AFI standard, moisture and defect limits as agreed.
- Food safety limits for your market, including aflatoxin — see aflatoxin in cashew nuts.
- Incoterm and port, for example FOB Ho Chi Minh, Incoterms® 2020.
- Shipment period, payment terms and the document list.
On the Vietnamese side, cashew kernel exports are not taxed, according to the Vietnam Cashew Association as quoted by VietNamNet; duties and taxes arise in the importing country.
Step 5 — What happens between production and loading?
The supplier processes and packs your order, then inspects the container before loading. At SVC, each container is pre-inspected, the carton count is verified and the container condition is checked before the doors are sealed. Independent inspection by a company such as SGS or Vinacontrol can be added at the buyer’s request. For what can go wrong at sea and how to prevent it, read how a cashew container is loaded.
Step 6 — Which documents come with the shipment?
A standard export set includes the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin and a certificate of analysis; phytosanitary, health or halal certificates are added depending on the destination. SVC provides a COA and MSDS with every shipment. Our export documentation guide explains what each document proves.
Step 7 — What happens when the cargo arrives?
Import clearance follows the rules of your country. In the US, importers must meet FDA requirements, including the Foreign Supplier Verification Program; in the EU, contaminant limits and official controls apply. See our checklists for the US market and the EU market.
Most problems on a first import come from things that were never written down: packing format, lot limits, or the document list. We would rather agree them line by line before the contract than explain them after the container has sailed.
Planning your first import from Vietnam? Request a quotation →
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