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Exporting cashew (HS 0801) — origin, out-turn and residues

Last reviewed 2026-10 · 4 sections

Cashew is unusual among Indian agricultural exports: India is a large importer of raw cashew nuts and a large exporter of processed kernels. That single fact creates most of its commercial and compliance subtleties.

Classification: in shell versus shelled

  • 0801 31 covers cashew nuts in shell; 0801 32 covers them shelled. The two lines have different duty treatment in most schedules, and the distinction is the first thing a customs officer checks.
  • Cashew sits alongside coconuts and Brazil nuts in heading 0801 — make sure you are in the right subheading branch.
  • Cashew shell liquid is a separate product in a different chapter, and roasted or otherwise prepared nuts leave chapter 8 entirely.

Imported raw nuts, exported kernels — and what that does to origin

Indian processors import raw cashew nuts from West and East Africa and export the kernels. Where a preference is claimed on those kernels, the rules of origin decide whether processing in India is enough to confer Indian origin — and the answer depends on the specific rule and the tariff shift it requires.

This is the single most important compliance point in Indian cashew exporting: a kernel processed in India is not automatically of Indian origin for every agreement. Check the rule for the destination and the specific agreement before you promise a preferential rate, and keep the import and processing records that demonstrate the tariff shift.

Out-turn: how the trade is actually priced

  • Raw cashew is traded on out-turn — the kernel yield expected from a given consignment — alongside indicators like nut count per kilogram and moisture. Two consignments of the same weight can be worth very different amounts.
  • That means the customs unit value for raw cashew is a blend of very different qualities. Use it as a coarse band only, never as a price.
  • Contract terms should fix the quality parameters and the sampling method, because disputes here are about measurement as much as about quality.

Residues, documents and market reading

  • Aflatoxin limits and pesticide residue limits apply at the destination, and nuts are a commonly tested category. Storage conditions drive aflatoxin risk.
  • Documents: commercial invoice, packing list, transport document, certificate of origin, phytosanitary certificate, laboratory reports where required.
  • When reading export data, remember that re-exports of processed kernels are recorded as exports even though the raw material was imported — India's export figure is not a measure of Indian-grown cashew.

Use the tools

Sources & further reading

Directorate of Cashewnut & Cocoa Development APEDA EU pesticides database (MRLs)

These guides summarise public material from the bodies named above. They are general information, not advice on a specific shipment, and they are not a substitute for a ruling from your customs authority or a qualified customs broker / consultant.

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