Pine nuts: added to the list of strategic goods

May 11, 2023 at 11:05 AM , Der AUDITOR
Play report as audio

BEIJING/MOSCOW. The Russian Ministry of Justice has launched a bill to add Korean pine nuts to the list of strategically important goods.

Smuggling to be stopped

The majority of the world's harvested pine nut crop takes place in China (2022: 25,000 mt) and Russia (2022: 35,000 mt). Nevertheless, Russia has problems with illegal imports of in-shell pine nuts from Korea (2022: 20,000 mt), which is also in the upper echelons of pine nut producers. As a result, the Russian Ministry of Justice has now launched a draft that would add Korean pine nuts to the list of strategically important goods. "The proposed amendments will make it possible to bring to justice those who illegally transport Korean in-shell pine nuts worth more than 1 million roubles across the border of the Russian Federation," the report says. Regular commercial trade with Korean pine nuts would not be affected, the Justice Ministry stressed. The aim is to ensure the protection of the cedar forests and the animals living there and to prevent smuggling activities in order to promote legal trade.

Meanwhile, export prices for Chinese pine nuts dropped significantly at the end of 2022. In the meantime, they had reached a level of more than USD 30/kg; current quotations for Pinus sibirica, 950 pcs./100 g are around USD 18.65/kg CFR EMP.

Pine nuts, China

Type

USD/kg

Red, 650 pcs./100 g

26.65

Pinus sibirica, 950 pcs./100 g

18.65

CFR EMP

EU imports almost 10,000 mt of pine nuts

In addition to China and Russia, the EU imports pine nuts mainly from Turkey and Mongolia. The import of unshelled pine nuts, at just over 200 mt, is of little significance here; the majority of imports are shelled pine nuts. In total, the EU imported 9,607 mt of shelled pine nuts worth EUR 230.26 million in 2022. The average import price was EUR 23.97/kg. At 6,879 mt, more than two-thirds of imports into the EU came from China, followed by Russia and Turkey with 1,773 mt and 408 mt each.

Pine nut* imports, EU, 2022

Supplier

mt

Mio. EUR

EUR/kg

China

6,879

161.13

23.42

Russia

1,773

39.04

22.02

Turkey

408

18.88

46.27

Mongolia

302

6.07

20.11

Pakistan

105

2.49

23.73

Others

140

2.64

-

Total

9,607

230.26

23.97

European Commission / Eurostat (Comext)

*08029200 Fresh or dried pine nuts, shelled

*Due to a change in the HS code for pine nuts from 2021 to 2022, a direct year-on-year comparison is currently not possible.

View more
price charts for pine nuts from China
price chart for nuts, oilseeds and grains and many more products

View related articles

Go to the News Overview
Nuts
Feb 4, 2025
AYDIN/BRUSSELS. Turkey recorded an increase in production in 2024 compared to the previous year, with Aydin being the most important growing region for chestnuts. However, the EU imported significantly less than in 2023.
Nuts
Feb 3, 2025
NEW DELHI/ATLANTA. Indian traders are looking forward to further price hikes and are pinning hopes on the upcoming wedding season. In the USA, production is expected to be higher while at the same time exports are declining.
Nuts
Feb 3, 2025
SANTIAGO. Europe is the noted exception for Chile’s walnuts. The country’s exports are showing mixed trends. Hope is that the current supply situation will improve.
Nuts
Jan 30, 2025
ORDU. On Thursday, the TMO launched its long-awaited sales for hazelnuts. Pricing has turned extremely difficult for exporters. Observations are emerging from the orchards concerning the 2025 crop.