Chinese pine nut FOB prices in Dalian are edging slightly lower but remain tightly range-bound, with only marginal day‑on‑day softening and no sign of a major trend break. Export interest from Europe and North America is steady, while higher global freight rates and some port waiting times are limiting any deeper correction.
Spot trading is calm after the post–Lunar New Year shipping rush, with buyers largely covered for nearby needs and focusing on Q2 shipments. Logistics out of North China remain functional, but global container disruptions and higher bunker costs are underpinning delivered prices, even as origin offers slip a touch. Weather in Dalian is seasonally mild and benign for remaining processing and logistics, keeping nearby supply adequate. Overall, sentiment is neutral‑to‑slightly soft at origin, but external freight costs cap downside for end‑users.
Exclusive Offers on CMBroker
Pine nuts
1200
FOB 15.30 €/kg
(from CN)
Pine nuts
950
FOB 15.90 €/kg
(from CN)
📈 Prices & Spreads
All prices converted approximately to EUR using 1 USD ≈ 0.93 EUR.
| Product | Origin / Term | Last Price (USD/kg) |
Last Price (EUR/kg) |
1W Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pine nuts 950 ct | CN Dalian FOB | 15.90 | ≈ 14.79 | Sideways / slightly softer |
| Pine nuts 1200 ct | CN Dalian FOB | 15.30 | ≈ 14.23 | Sideways / slightly softer |
Both main grades out of Dalian show a very modest week‑on‑week decline of about 0.05 USD/kg (≈0.05 EUR/kg), leaving the intragrade spread stable around 0.6 USD/kg (≈0.56 EUR/kg). The narrow and stable spread indicates balanced demand across size grades rather than any strong quality‑specific squeeze.
🌍 Supply, Demand & Logistics
Chinese processors report adequate raw material availability following earlier strong harvests in core producing areas, and there are no fresh weather or crop shocks in the last few days that would materially alter near‑term supply. Mild late‑March conditions around Dalian support uninterrupted shelling, drying and loading operations.
On the demand side, international nut and seed buying has been uneven, with softer import appetites reported for some competing nuts such as cashews into China in early 2026, suggesting consumers remain price‑sensitive. For pine nuts specifically, food industry demand in Europe and North America is described as steady but not aggressively restocking, consistent with the very small price decline at origin.
Export logistics out of Chinese ports remain generally functional, but earlier Chinese New Year data pointed to strong throughput growth and a rise in vessel waiting times at several ports, including Dalian, signaling a busier export environment overall. At the same time, global liner schedule disruptions and diversions linked to geopolitical tensions and higher fuel costs are pushing freight and surcharge levels higher on many trade lanes, including ex‑Asia. This combination tends to keep delivered‑to‑destination pine nut prices firm even as FOB values slip slightly.
📊 Fundamentals & Weather
Recent global shipping commentary highlights that container rates from Asia to key consumer markets have firmed again in late March, with Asia–US benchmark routes up by around 3–4% week on week and Middle East–related diversions still distorting flows. For pine nuts, this means CIF prices in Europe and North America may not fully reflect the mild easing seen in Chinese FOB offers.
Short‑term weather in Dalian is neutral to slightly supportive for smooth logistics: forecasts for 29–31 March show mostly cloudy to sunny conditions with daytime highs around 12–17°C, no freezing risk and no major storms. These conditions reduce the likelihood of weather‑driven delays in port handling or internal truck movements for pine nut containers in the coming days.
📆 Short-Term Outlook & Trading Ideas
- Price bias (FOB Dalian, in EUR): Slightly soft to sideways over the next week, with a working range around 14.1–14.9 EUR/kg depending on grade and lot size.
- For importers: Consider using the current marginal dip in FOB prices to secure partial Q2 coverage, but factor in elevated freight and war‑risk surcharges that may erode some of the origin discount.
- For Chinese exporters/processors: Maintain offer discipline; rising global container and fuel costs justify holding EUR price ideas even if USD‑denominated FOB levels edge down slightly.
- For industrial buyers (pesto, bakery, snacking): Evaluate cross‑commodity spreads versus almonds and cashews; with some nuts under demand pressure, pine nuts may face substitution risk if relative pricing drifts too high once freight is added.
📍 3‑Day Regional Price Indication (CN-based)
Given benign local weather in Dalian and no fresh logistical shocks, pine nut FOB prices in China are expected to remain broadly stable over the next three days (29–31 March), fluctuating within a narrow band of about ±0.05 EUR/kg around current levels for both 950 ct and 1200 ct grades. Slight upward pressure from freight costs is likely to show up mainly in CIF, not FOB, quotations.
