Sourcing Cashew from Sri Lanka: Grades, Grown-vs-Processed & Quality

Giugno 20, 2026

White whole cashew kernels in a bowl

A cura di SriLankaExport.com Trade Desk · ricercato e verificato su fonti primarie

Cashew kernels

Sri Lanka is a long-established cashew-kernel processing and export hub, with a dedicated state body (the Sri Lanka Cashew Corporation) and a tradition of careful hand-processing. But before you source “Sri Lankan cashew,” there is one fact that decides everything about how you frame the buy.

This guide is for cashew importers, food manufacturers and private-label buyers evaluating Sri Lanka. It is sourcing information, not legal advice.

Grown vs processed, the distinction every cashew buyer must get right. Sri Lanka exports a large volume of processed cashew kernels, but it is a net importer of raw cashew nuts: much of the raw material is brought in (from Africa and elsewhere), shelled and graded in Sri Lanka, then exported. So “Sri Lankan cashew” usually means processed in Sri Lanka, not necessarily grown there. If you need genuine single-origin Sri Lankan-grown cashew, that is a smaller, premium niche. Ask explicitly and get it in writing.

Two different buys

  • Sri Lanka-processed kernels: the larger volume. You are buying processing quality and grading from a respected processing origin; the raw-nut origin varies, so request a raw-origin declaration.
  • Single-origin Sri Lankan-grown: a limited, premium story for buyers who specifically want provenance. Confirm it is grown-in-Sri-Lanka, not just processed there.

Cashew grading: the spec that sets price

Cashew kernels are graded by wholeness, size and color. Whole white kernels are graded by count per pound, the lower the number, the bigger (and pricier) the nut:

GradeMeaning
W180 / W210 / W240 / W320 / W450White wholes, nuts per lb (W180 = largest/premium; W320 is the workhorse).
SW (scorched wholes)Wholes with light color from roasting/processing, same nut, lower price.
Splits / butts / pieces (LWP, SWP)Broken grades for ingredients, butters and snacks, cheaper.
Aflatoxin is the safety gate. Cashew is prone to aflatoxin if poorly dried/stored. Demand an aflatoxin COA (EU limits: total ≤10 ppb, B1 ≤5 ppb), plus moisture, microbiology and heavy-metals results on the delivered lot.

Specifications to request

  • Grade (W180–W450 / SW / pieces), color, count per lb, broken %.
  • Aflatoxin + microbiology + moisture COA; sterilization/roast status.
  • Raw-nut origin declaration (grown-in-SL vs processed-from-imported).
  • Certificazioni (ISO 22000/HACCP, BRC, Organic where required); packaging (vac-pack vs tin) and shelf life.

HS codes & duty

Anacardi in shell, HS 0801.31; shelled kernels, HS 0801.32. Confirm with the Ricerca codice HS. Sri Lanka holds GSP+ UE for qualifying lines, but rules of origin matter here precisely because of the imported-raw-nut point above; verify eligibility.

Bottom line: Sri Lanka is a quality cashew-processing origin, buy on grade + a clean aflatoxin COA, and pin down whether you need SL-grown provenance or SL-processed kernels (and the raw-nut origin) before you commit.

Source cashew kernels from Sri Lanka

Tell us the grade (e.g. W240 / W320), whether you need Sri Lankan-grown provenance, and your volume. We’ll match you with Sri Lankan processors and return firm quotes, free, no obligation.

Request a Cashew Quote →

Disclaimer: General sourcing information for trade buyers, not legal advice. Confirm aflatoxin/contaminant limits, rules of origin and tariff classification for your product and destination market before purchase.
Sources: Reporting on Sri Lanka’s cashew-kernel processing/export sector and its net-importer-of-raw-nuts model (Sri Lanka Cashew Corporation); standard AFI cashew kernel grade specifications (W-grades); EU aflatoxin limits (total 10 ppb / B1 5 ppb); WCO Harmonized System heading 0801.

SLE
SriLankaExport.com Trade Desk

Specialisti dell'esportazione presso Harker International (Pvt) Ltd, Kandy, Sri Lanka. Ogni guida è studiata e verificata rispetto alle tariffe doganali, ai dati EDB e ai relativi standard internazionali. I nostri standard editoriali e il nostro team →