Bulk cashew nut prices are quoted per tonne or per kilogram of kernel, in United States dollars, against a named grade and a named delivery term. Two quotations that look far apart often are not, because they are drawn on different terms. It is worth being explicit about what is inside each one.

An FOB Port of Bissau price covers the kernel, the pack, inland movement to the port, export clearance and loading. Everything after the ship's rail belongs to the buyer: ocean freight, insurance, destination charges, duty and onward haulage. A CIF price for the same lot adds freight and insurance to the named destination port, so it will always read higher while frequently costing the buyer less in total. Comparing an FOB figure against a CIF figure is the single most common source of confusion in cashew procurement.

Within a season, several things move the number. Raw nut cost at origin is the largest component and is set by the harvest, which in Guinea-Bissau runs broadly from April into June, and by competition from raw exporters buying for Asian shellers. Kernel outturn matters next: a lower recovery ratio spreads the same raw cost over fewer kilograms of saleable kernel. Grade mix follows, because a line producing a higher share of wholes carries a different revenue profile from one producing mostly splits and pieces. Freight rates and currency then adjust the landed figure without touching the factory gate at all.

Volume and term also change the price legitimately. A single spot container carries more risk and less planning value than a twelve-month contract with a scheduled shipment calendar, and it is priced accordingly.

When you ask for a bulk cashew quotation, from us or from anyone else, specify the grade, the annual or per-shipment volume, the pack format, the delivery term and the destination port. A quotation that lacks those five inputs is an estimate, and comparing estimates is not procurement.