Brazil Nuts

Shelled kernels by count per pound from Bolivia, Peru & Brazil

Brazil nuts are a wild-harvested forest crop, and the shelled trade is centred on Bolivia. UN Comtrade 2024 export declarations under HS 0801.22 (shelled Brazil nuts) total USD 328 million across reporters, and Bolivia declared USD 187 million and 27,459 MT, 57% of the value, followed by Peru (USD 38 million, 5,067 MT) and Brazil (USD 26 million, 3,261 MT), with Germany and the Netherlands re-exporting. In-shell Brazil nuts (HS 0801.21) are a small trade of USD 18 million, led by Brazil at USD 13 million and 5,725 MT. In Bolivia the nuts are collected in the Beni and Pando departments as the pods fall between December and March, and are shelled in the processing plants of Riberalta and Cobija, so new-crop kernel offers follow from the second quarter.

Kernels are graded by count per pound: Extra Large at about 40-45 nuts, Large 46-50, Weak Large 51-56, Medium 57-62, and smaller sizes up to about 110 per pound, with Midgets and broken kernels below that. Large and medium kernels go to retail packs and snack mixes; midgets and brokens go to chocolate coating, muesli, bakery and paste. UNECE standard DDP-27 caps Brazil nut kernel moisture at 4.5%. Aflatoxin is the risk that decides EU entry: Regulation (EU) 2023/915 sets 5.0 µg/kg aflatoxin B1 and 10.0 µg/kg total for Brazil nuts placed on the market and 8.0 / 15.0 µg/kg for Brazil nuts to be sorted or physically treated first, and Brazil nuts are not among the products listed for increased border checks in the 2026 annexes to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793. CBIL is a commodity brokerage company and brokers Brazil nut kernels and in-shell nuts from Bolivian, Peruvian and Brazilian processors against a certificate of analysis for size count, moisture, aflatoxin and microbiology, a phytosanitary certificate and a certificate of origin, with organic and fair-trade certification where the processor holds it. Kernels ship vacuum-packed in cartons, container-load, on FOB, CFR and CIF terms. Send the size, form, aflatoxin limit, certification, volume and discharge port, and the enquiry is screened and worked against it.

Excluded origins are not offered, including product re-exported, blended or re-processed through a third country. Every lot moves with a certificate of origin naming the producing plant, mine or grower country, and nothing is quoted before the seller and loading point are known.