W320 Cashew Kernels — Specifications, Price & Sourcing Guide

The W in W320 stands for White — specifically Whole White, the top classification in the cashew kernel grading system. A WW kernel must be whole, free of surface discolouration, and show no visible damage, splits, or spots on either face. The number 320 refers to the kernel count per pound: a W320 lot contains approximately 300–320 whole white kernels per pound (660–705 kernels per kilogram), placing it in the medium-size range of the traded kernel spectrum.

In terms of appearance, W320 kernels are ivory to cream in colour, with a smooth surface and a characteristic curved shape. They are versatile enough for retail packaging, foodservice distribution, and industrial snack manufacturing — which explains why the grade dominates global trade volumes. Any buyer searching for a reliable W320 cashew supplier Ivory Coast or across West Africa will encounter W320 as the reference price and quality benchmark in nearly every exporter's catalogue.

Cashew kernel grades follow a simple logic: the lower the number, the larger the kernel, and the higher the price per kilogram. Buyers who confuse grades end up paying a premium for size they do not need, or sourcing a grade too small for their retail format. Here is how the four main whole-kernel grades and splits compare across the key buying criteria.

W180 (approximately 180 kernels per pound) is the jumbo retail grade — large, visually striking, commanding the highest market price. W240 (240 kernels per pound) is the premium tier used in high-end retail and gourmet foodservice. W320 is the global volume leader — the sweet spot between size and cost that satisfies most retail, HORECA, and food-manufacturing specifications. W450 (450 kernels per pound) is the smallest whole-white grade, favoured by industrial processors and snack manufacturers managing margin. Splits (SW — Scorched Wholes excepted) and broken pieces (B, BB, LP, SP, SSP) are the lowest cost tier, used in bakery, confectionery coatings, and nut butter production.

W320 cashew kernels are priced FOB origin in USD per metric tonne or, equivalently, in USD per kilogram. Market prices fluctuate with West African harvest outcomes, Vietnamese and Indian processing capacity utilisation, and global dollar movements. For the 2024–2025 crop cycle, indicative FOB prices for W320 cashew from West Africa have ranged between USD 3.20 and USD 4.20 per kilogram (USD 3,200–4,200 per metric tonne), depending on origin, lot size, packaging specification, and inspection requirements.

Ivory Coast W320 cashew — processed by the country's rapidly expanding kernel sector — tends to price at the tighter end of the range for large lots (20 MT+), given the depth of local supply. Benin and Ghana origins offer competitive alternatives when Ivorian availability is tight. East African origins (Tanzania, Mozambique) typically attract a small premium or discount depending on seasonal dynamics. Buyers should request indicative FOB pricing with a clear lot specification: grade (W320 WW), volume (MT), packaging (tins vs. cartons), loading port, and inspection clause.

Four ports concentrate the majority of W320 cashew kernel exports from the African continent. Each serves a distinct production hinterland and offers different logistics profiles for international buyers.

Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire) is the largest cashew export port in Africa, handling both raw cashew nuts and a fast-growing volume of processed kernels including W320. The port infrastructure is modern, with direct services to European, Asian, and North American container lines. Cotonou (Benin) serves the West African kernel processing cluster and offers competitive transit times to Antwerp and Le Havre. Mombasa (Kenya) is the primary relay for East African kernel exports and re-exports, with broad shipping connectivity to the Middle East and Asia. Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) handles the Tanzanian W320 and split cashew crop, providing an important counter-seasonal supply source for buyers managing year-round inventory.

International buyers and food safety auditors apply consistent minimum quality thresholds to W320 cashew kernel shipments. These standards are not optional — they are the baseline that separates export-grade W320 from downgraded or rejected lots. Any serious W320 cashew supplier in Ivory Coast or across Africa will be able to provide inspection reports confirming compliance before shipment.

The three critical parameters to specify in every purchase contract are: moisture content (the primary driver of mould risk and shelf-life), defect rate (broken, scorched, discoloured, and insect-damaged kernels combined), and aflatoxin contamination (a food safety hard limit enforced at European and US borders). Independent inspection by SGS, Bureau Veritas, or Intertek at the loading port is the standard mechanism for verifying all three before the buyer releases payment.

The cashew calendar is not uniform across Africa. Buyers who understand the harvest windows by origin can plan purchases to align with peak supply — when FOB pricing is most competitive — or deliberately source from counter-seasonal origins to maintain year-round inventory.

West Africa dominates the global supply between March and July, with Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Benin, Senegal, and Ghana all harvesting within a roughly overlapping window. East Africa — primarily Tanzania and Mozambique — produces its crop between November and February, providing the counter-seasonal supply that bridges the West African off-season. Buyers with annual volume commitments often split sourcing between both regions to smooth pricing and reduce concentration risk.

TropLink operates as a cashew kernel exporter intermediary between pre-qualified West and East African suppliers and international buyers. When you submit a W320 sourcing brief — volume, target price per kg, loading port, packaging specification, and required documentation — TropLink matches it against confirmed available lots in our supplier network within 24 hours.

Every supplier on the TropLink network has been qualified before introduction: we verify export registration, review past inspection reports from independent agencies, and confirm at least one completed international shipment as reference. We do not forward contact lists. We confirm lot availability, obtain indicative FOB pricing, coordinate independent inspection at the loading port, and stay involved through documentation review and shipping confirmation.

Our commission model is transparent: 2–3% of the FOB transaction value, agreed before any supplier introduction and disclosed to both sides. There are no hidden fees. For buyers sourcing W320 cashew kernels from Africa for the first time, or looking to diversify their cashew kernel exporter network with a new origin, TropLink offers the fastest path from specification to confirmed lot.