USA
Europe trade laneEurope is one of the largest markets for California tree nuts. Spain, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands buy almonds for snacking, baking and confectionery — marzipan, nougat, turrón — alongside pistachios and walnuts, and European buyers contract new crop from late summer to have it in their plants ahead of the Christmas season. Since 1 July 2026 the trade has a new advantage: US tree nuts — almonds, pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans and macadamias — enter the EU at zero duty within a 500,000-tonne quota every twelve months, under Regulation (EU) 2026/1455, which runs to the end of 2029.
AGF is based in Glendale, California. We book the containers from Oakland or Los Angeles/Long Beach, arrange the truck from your Central Valley handler, file the export information and make sure the aflatoxin certificate and the origin evidence travel with the shipment. In Europe we work through WCA partner agents in the destination country — AGF has no office in Europe — who clear the goods, present them for any border food check and deliver to your buyer.
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Shipping Almonds & Tree Nuts from USA to Europe
Nuts ship in standard dry containers. Kernels are usually packed in 50 lb (22.68 kg) cartons or in bulk bags, and they are dense enough that a container reaches the weight the US road leg allows before it is full, so we plan the carton or bag count from the handler's packing specification rather than by volume. The container itself matters: nuts absorb moisture and odours, so it must be clean, dry, odour-free and in good condition, with liners or desiccant where the handler specifies.
Condensation is the transit risk. A container that crosses from California heat through the Panama Canal into a European autumn goes through temperature swings that can turn trapped moisture into "container rain" on the top cartons. Load dry product, keep the container out of direct sun at the port, and avoid long dwell before loading. Most cargo sails all-water from Oakland or Los Angeles/Long Beach through the Panama Canal to Rotterdam, Antwerp, Hamburg, Valencia or Genoa; some moves by rail to the East Coast first. We confirm the routing and transit for each booking.
- Oakland or Los Angeles/Long Beach, with trucking from Central Valley handlers
- Clean, dry, odour-free containers; liners or desiccant where the handler specifies
- Aflatoxin pre-export certificate and origin evidence travelling with the documents
- EU-side clearance and any border food check handled by our partner agent
What Drives the Cost
- Whether the EU quota still has volume when the goods are declared — zero duty in quota, the normal EU duty once it is used up
- Trucking from the handler to the port, and the container weight the US road leg allows
- Routing — all-water through Panama or rail to the East Coast — and the season, with new-crop shipments peaking from late summer
- Aflatoxin testing and certification at origin, and border sampling fees if a consignment is selected in the EU
- Import VAT at the destination country's rate, usually a reduced rate for food
- Delivery from the European port to the buyer's plant or warehouse
HS Codes and Duty Notes
Classification guidance only — duty rates change and depend on your exact product. Codes are confirmed with the licensed customs representative at destination before you ship.
| HS Code | Products | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0802.11 / 0802.12 | Almonds, in shell / shelled | Inside the EU's zero-duty quota for US tree nuts while volume remains. US export filings use Schedule B and the EU import uses the CN code; the first six digits match. |
| 0802.51 / 0802.52 | Pistachios, in shell / shelled | Covered by the same tree-nut quota. Pistachios are also watched for aflatoxin at the EU border. |
| 0802.31 / 0802.32 | Walnuts, in shell / shelled | Covered by the same quota. In-shell and kernels differ on plant-health paperwork, which we confirm per product. |
| 2008.19 | Roasted, salted or otherwise prepared nuts, nut pastes | Processed nuts classify in Chapter 20 rather than Chapter 8, so whether a line falls inside the US tree-nut quota is checked at quoting. |
Regulations and Compliance
The EU zero-duty quota for US tree nuts
Since 1 July 2026, US almonds, pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans and macadamias enter the EU at zero duty within a 500,000-tonne quota every twelve months, under Regulation (EU) 2026/1455, which runs to 31 December 2029. The quota is shared by every importer; once it is used up, the normal EU duty applies until it reopens. The nuts must be of US origin and shipped directly or kept under customs supervision in transit. No special certificate of origin form is required — the EU accepts commercial evidence such as invoices, shipping documents and supplier declarations — but that evidence must be available if customs asks for it.
Aflatoxin limits and the pre-export check
The EU sets maximum aflatoxin levels for nuts, lower for nuts sold to consumers than for nuts that will be sorted or processed further. California almonds are shipped under the Pre-Export Check (PEC) programme run by the Almond Board of California with USDA, which replaced the earlier VASP: consignments with a PEC certificate face far fewer border checks than those without. Certification has to be complete before the container sails, so we build its timing into the booking.
Pesticide residues
The EU sets its own maximum residue levels (MRLs) for each pesticide, several of them lower than US tolerances, and has been lowering or removing MRLs for a number of active ingredients. A lot that complies in the USA can fail in Europe, so EU-bound product should be checked against current EU MRLs before it is contracted.
Plant health
Whether a phytosanitary certificate is needed depends on the product and its form — in-shell nuts and kernels are treated differently. Where one is required, it is issued by USDA APHIS before export. We confirm the requirement for each product and destination before booking.
Packaging — the EU PPWR
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation has applied since 12 August 2026 to primary, secondary and transport packaging placed on the EU market. EU buyers may now ask for documentation on packaging materials, food-contact status, heavy metals and PFAS; the wider recyclability and recycled-content requirements phase in mainly from 2030. Wooden pallets must meet ISPM-15.
US export filing
Electronic Export Information is filed in AES for any Schedule B line over $2,500. Nuts need no export license, but each shipment is still screened against US sanctions and restricted-party lists before booking.
Door-to-Door Shipping Service
We start with the contract: product, form, quantity, the buyer's destination and the certificates the buyer requires. We book the container, arrange trucking from your handler, and coordinate the timing of the aflatoxin certificate and any phytosanitary certificate so the documents are ready when the container sails from Oakland or Los Angeles/Long Beach.
Our WCA partner agent in the destination country clears the goods as customs representative for the buyer, declares them against the US tree-nut quota with the origin evidence, presents them for any border food check, accounts for import VAT and delivers to the plant or warehouse. AGF coordinates the whole move from Glendale.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do US almonds pay import duty in the EU?
Do I need a certificate of origin to use the EU quota for US almonds?
What is the aflatoxin certificate for almonds exported to the EU?
How long does it take to ship almonds from California to Europe?
Almonds & Tree Nuts is just one example. AGF ships whatever your business moves — on this lane and beyond. If your commodity isn't covered by one of our guides, tell us what you ship and we'll build the logistics around it.
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