The United States of America (US) heavily depends on cashew imports to satisfy local demand. Cold winters and hot summers that cover most parts of the country prevent cashew production. Up to this time, there are no cashews grown in southern parts of Florida where its warm and humid for many months of a year.
Cashews in the US are mainly sold in supermarkets. Majority of consumers in the country are found in the cities of New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago. Smaller retail outlets, wholesale markets and specialty food stores trade in smaller quantities of cashews.
Cashew Price in USA
Imports of cashews in the US were worth about 980 million US Dollars in 2022. Even though it’s a slight drop from the previous year, it is the other record high value. The sharpest climb was from 2016 to 2017 when the import value rose from about 1.2 million US Dollars to around 1.6 million US Dollars.
‘Here are the total values in import of cashews in US between 2013 and 2022.
Cashew Nut Price per kg in USA
The cost of a kilo of cashews in the US can be between US6 Dollars and US8 Dollars. This is based on the average import price per kg. This wholesale price has gone as high as US10 Dollars in the recent past.
Retail prices of shelled cashews vary from seller to seller. Americans can buy imported cashews for most part of the year because they are sourced from several nations. Market timing also determines the price range as late season cashews get a premium over early season cashews.
Whole cashew kernels are more valuable than broken pieces. While those that are white or pale ivory in color are preferred to than coloured or burnt ones.
Cashews USA
The US brings in more shelled cashews than in-shell cashews. A bulk of these cashews are processed either in Vietnam or India. These two countries are giants in the cashew processing industry. Not only do they process their own cashew nuts but also those grown in several parts of Africa.
Cashew imports have to first go through the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP.) They are then tested using certain food safety protocols set by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The government of US sets the requirements for importers of food products like cashews through the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Cans or polythene bags of cashews must be labeled according to guidelines determined by the FDA. All foreign language labeling must be translated into English. Labels must include the following information:
- Name and address of producer
- Brand or trademark
- Country of origin
- Type of cashew and grade
- Storage instructions and temperature requirements
- Net weight and number of cashews per can or polythene bag
- Nutritional information
- Shelf life
- Date of packing
Cashew Nuts USA
Many Americans enjoy eating cashew kernels. Getting to the edible part of a cashew nut is quite a process. Besides a hard outer shell and another thin skin, a kernel is covered by cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL). CNSL is a dark brown liquid that causes skin irritation.
The five steps involved in extracting a cashew kernel are:
- Shelling: removal of the outer shell and CNSL
- Peeling: removal of the testa
- Grading: into different sizes and colours according to standard grading
- Drying or humidifying: to a final moisture content of 5%
- Packing: into airtight bags depending on the scale of the operation
Much of the shelled cashews that reach the US are packed in vacuumized, nitrogen flushed poly pouches/bags. This packaging is highly compact and minimizes physical damage during transit. It also keeps cashews fresh and free from any risk of infestation.