Exporting Cassava and Tapioca Products from Thailand

Cassava is one of Thailand’s most important agricultural exports, and it leaves the country in more forms than most people realise: dried chips for feed and industrial use, pellets, native starch for food and industry, modified starches for paper, textiles and food processing, and finished tapioca products such as pearls. Each form has its own tariff classification, its own handling method and its own risks. A shipment of starch in bags inside a 40-foot container has almost nothing in common, logistically, with a bulk vessel loading chips.

This guide is for exporters, traders and buyers who want to understand how Thai cassava products move. It covers the product forms and how they are classified, how chips, pellets and starch are usually shipped, how to choose between bulk and containers, how to manage moisture and condensation, what documents buyers typically ask for (with particular attention to China, which is a major market), and the mistakes that most often lead to claims. Where a requirement depends on the importing country or a specific product standard, we tell you who to confirm it with. We do not quote freight rates, moisture limits or duty rates here, because those depend on the contract, the product and the destination.

What cassava products does Thailand export, and how are they classified?

The main groups are dried cassava (chips and pellets), native cassava starch, and processed products such as modified starch, flour and tapioca pearls. In the Harmonized System, dried cassava falls under heading 0714 (subheading 0714.10, manioc), and native cassava starch under subheading 1108.14 (manioc starch). Other products sit under different headings.

Heading 0714 covers roots and tubers such as manioc, whether or not sliced or in the form of pellets, fresh, chilled, frozen or dried. That is why chips and pellets, which are dried and physically processed but not chemically changed, stay within it. Heading 1108 covers starches, and 1108.14 is specifically manioc (cassava) starch. Modified starches, which have been chemically or physically altered to change their properties, are classified elsewhere, and finished tapioca products such as pearls or flakes have their own headings again.

The classification matters for three reasons. It determines the duty rate at destination and whether a preferential rate applies under a trade agreement. It determines which import rules, inspections and registrations apply, because many countries set different conditions for raw agricultural products than for processed food ingredients. And it must be consistent across your invoice, export declaration, certificate of origin and phytosanitary certificate, or you will face questions at both ends.

The six-digit HS code is shared internationally, but the national codes beyond that differ between Thailand and each importing country. Confirm the full Thai export code with your customs broker, and ask your buyer for the code it will use on import. For a new product, especially a modified starch or blended product, consider a binding ruling or written advice from the importing country’s customs before the first shipment.

The figure below summarises the four product groups, their headings, how they usually ship and the main cargo risk for each. Use it as a starting point for a conversation with your broker and buyer, not as a final classification.

How are cassava chips and pellets shipped?

Dried chips and pellets move either in bulk, loaded loose into a vessel’s holds, or in bags, often stuffed into containers. Bulk suits large volumes for a single buyer with the port infrastructure to receive it; bagged containers suit smaller or split volumes and tighter lot control.

Bulk shipment is the traditional route for large feed and industrial volumes. Chips are collected from drying yards and processors, stored in warehouses, and loaded at ports or river terminals with bulk handling equipment, sometimes via barges or lighters to a vessel at anchor. The commercial terms are usually a charter party or voyage contract, and quality is checked by independent surveyors at loading and again at discharge. The risks are classic bulk-agri risks: moisture, heating in the hold, mould, insects and dust.

Containerised shipment of chips and pellets uses bags, typically woven polypropylene sacks or large bulk bags, stuffed into dry containers. It suits buyers who want smaller lots, more frequent deliveries, or delivery to inland destinations that a bulk vessel cannot serve. It also allows each container to be inspected, sealed and documented separately, which helps when quality disputes arise.

Pellets behave differently from chips. They are denser and flow more easily, but they can break down into dust, which affects quality and handling. Chips are bulkier and can hold moisture unevenly. Both are susceptible to insects, which is why buyers sometimes ask for fumigation before or after loading.

Whichever mode you use, three things decide whether the cargo arrives in good condition: the moisture content of the product when it is loaded, the cleanliness and condition of the hold or container, and how the cargo is protected from condensation on the voyage. Your contract should state the quality specification and how it will be measured, by whom and where. For bulk cargo, the surveyor’s certificate at loading becomes a key commercial document; for containers, photographs and records at stuffing serve the same purpose.

Bulk or container: which suits your cassava shipment?

Choose bulk when a single buyer takes a large volume at a port that can receive it, and both sides are set up for charter terms and survey-based quality. Choose containers when volumes are smaller, buyers are spread out or inland, or you want lot-by-lot control.

The decision is usually made by the buyer and the trade pattern rather than by the exporter alone. Large feed mills and industrial users that buy whole cargoes are used to bulk. Traders who resell in smaller lots, or buyers far from a bulk port, often prefer containers. Some exporters do both, selling bulk to one set of customers and bagged containers to another.

For containers, the practical questions are equipment, weight and loading. Most cassava products ship in standard dry containers. Dense products such as starch and pellets can reach the container’s weight limit before its volume is full, so check the payload limits with the carrier and any road weight rules with your trucker before you agree a quantity per container. Lighter products such as chips may fill the volume first. Ask your forwarder to confirm the realistic quantity per container for your packing before you quote the buyer.

For bulk, the questions are about ports, timing and survey. Which port or river terminal can load the vessel size the buyer wants? How will the cargo be assembled and stored before loading? Who appoints the surveyor, and what will the surveyor check? What happens if the cargo is found out of specification at discharge?

Two considerations apply to both. First, the risk of quality claims rises with the time the cargo spends in transit and storage, so plan the supply so that goods do not sit for long in humid conditions before loading. Second, the documents differ: bulk shipments often involve a charter-party bill of lading and surveyor certificates, while container shipments use liner bills of lading and container-level records. Make sure your LC or contract reflects the mode you actually use.

How is tapioca starch shipped in containers?

Native and modified cassava starch is almost always shipped bagged in dry containers, either in smaller paper or woven bags stacked by hand or on pallets, or in large bulk bags. Food-grade starch needs a clean, dry, odour-free container and loading practices that protect against contamination and moisture.

Starch is a fine, hygroscopic powder. It absorbs moisture from the air, it takes up odours, and a torn bag spreads powder through the container. That makes the container’s condition as important as the product’s. Before stuffing, inspect each container for holes, leaks, rust, residues and smells, and reject any that fail. A container that previously carried chemicals, fertiliser or strongly scented goods is a poor choice for food-grade starch even if it looks clean. Your buyer may specify food-grade containers or container liners; follow the specification.

Packing choices affect both handling and claims. Small bags stacked by hand use the container’s space efficiently but take longer to load and unload. Palletised bags speed handling but use space and add pallet weight; if wooden pallets are used, they need ISPM 15 treatment and marking. Large bulk bags are quick to handle with forklifts but need careful stowage so they do not lean or tear.

Inside the container, the goal is to keep the bags dry and intact. Avoid stacking hard against the container walls and roof, where condensation forms and drips. Use dunnage or cardboard between bags and walls if the buyer agrees. Secure the load so it does not shift. And record the stuffing with photographs of the empty container, the loaded rows, and the doors closed with the seal visible.

For modified starches and finished tapioca products, the same principles apply, with extra attention to labelling, lot coding and any destination food-safety requirements. If the product is sold as a food ingredient, the importing country may require registration of the manufacturer or exporter, specific labelling, or health certificates. Confirm these with your importer before the first shipment, not at the port.

How do you manage moisture and condensation risk?

Start with product moisture within the contract specification at stuffing, use a clean and dry container in good condition, keep cargo away from walls and roof where condensation forms, add moisture control the buyer accepts, and record everything. Most cassava claims trace back to one of these.

Moisture damage in cassava cargo comes from two sources. The first is moisture in the product itself. Chips, pellets and starch that are loaded wetter than they should be can heat, cake, grow mould or develop odour on the voyage, and no amount of container preparation will fix that. Your contract should set the moisture limit, the test method and who tests, and your certificate of analysis should show the result for the lot shipped. We do not suggest a specific moisture figure here; it is a commercial specification between you and your buyer.

The second source is condensation, often called container sweat or container rain. A container loaded in Thailand’s warm, humid conditions and shipped to a cooler destination can see moisture condense on the inside walls and roof as the steel cools, then drip onto the cargo. Hygroscopic products such as starch and dried cassava can also release and reabsorb moisture as temperatures swing between day and night. The risk is higher on longer voyages and on routes into cooler climates.

Practical measures that reduce the risk include loading on a dry day or under cover, not loading product straight from a humid store into a cold container, keeping a gap between cargo and the container walls and roof, using cardboard or kraft paper lining where the buyer agrees, and using desiccants designed for containers. Each has its place; none replaces correct product moisture at loading. Our guide to container condensation and cargo sweat prevention covers the mechanics in more detail.

Record-keeping is your protection. If a claim arises, you will want to show the moisture test result for the lot, the container inspection record, photographs of the stuffing and seal, and the dates. Without them, it is very hard to show whether damage started before or after the cargo left your control.

What documents do cassava and tapioca exports need, especially for China?

The core set is a commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and certificate of analysis. Depending on the product and destination, add a phytosanitary certificate from the Department of Agriculture, a certificate of origin such as Form E for China, a fumigation certificate if requested, and evidence of meeting Department of Foreign Trade standards where the product is a controlled standard good.

The certificate of analysis, or quality certificate, is the commercial heart of the set. It shows the tested results of the lot against the contract specification, typically covering items such as moisture, starch content, ash, fibre, whiteness or viscosity, depending on the product. Buyers will compare it with their own tests at destination. Use a laboratory and method both sides accept, and make sure the lot numbers on the certificate match the packing list.

The phytosanitary certificate is issued by the DOA when the importing country requires one. Requirements vary by product form: raw dried cassava is more likely to be treated as a plant product subject to phytosanitary rules than refined starch, which may be treated as a processed food ingredient. Check with the DOA and your importer which applies to your product and market. Our guide to phytosanitary certificates explains how the application works.

For China, which is a major destination for Thai cassava, several layers apply. A certificate of origin Form E under the ASEAN–China Free Trade Area can support a claim for preferential treatment; our guide to verifying Form E explains how to check it. Chinese import rules for plant products and food ingredients are set by the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), and may include registration of overseas producers or exporters, specific inspection and quarantine requirements, and labelling rules. These change and are product-specific, so confirm the current conditions with your importer, who will deal with Chinese customs directly, before you sign the contract.

On the Thai side, cassava starch and some cassava products are standard goods under the oversight of the Department of Foreign Trade (DFT), according to Thai business press reports, which means they must meet set standards before export. Confirm with the DFT whether your product is covered and what inspection or certification it needs.

Do cassava shipments need fumigation?

Often, but not always. Buyers of dried chips and pellets frequently ask for fumigation because they are prone to insects, and some importing countries set treatment conditions for plant products. Refined starch is less commonly fumigated. Follow the contract and the importing country’s rules, and get the treatment specification in writing.

Where fumigation is required, it is usually done with phosphine in the container after stuffing, or under sheets in the warehouse before loading. The certificate records the fumigant, dose, exposure and date, and must match the other documents. Fumigation adds time between stuffing and terminal cut-off, because the container cannot move until exposure and ventilation are complete, so build it into your schedule from the start.

For bulk shipments, fumigation may be done in the vessel’s holds, under the rules of the carrier and the port. This is a specialist operation, and the charter terms should say who arranges it and who bears the risk.

If the importing country requires treatment as an official phytosanitary condition, the treatment may need to be recorded on the phytosanitary certificate, and the DOA may need to see evidence of it before issuing the certificate. In that case fumigation must come first in the document sequence. Ask the DOA and your importer about the specific requirement for your product and destination.

Also remember the packaging. If you use wooden pallets, they need ISPM 15 treatment and marking, which is separate from any fumigation of the cargo.

What are the most common mistakes in cassava exports, and how do you avoid them?

The common mistakes are loading product above the moisture specification, using a poor container, stacking against walls, mismatched documents, unclear quality terms and late discovery of destination import rules. Each one is preventable with a short checklist and early conversations with the buyer.

Moisture is first. Loading product that is too wet is the single biggest source of claims, because it cannot be fixed later. Test each lot before loading, keep the result with the lot record, and do not ship a lot that is out of specification in the hope that it will be fine.

Containers come next. An unsuitable container, with holes, leaking door seals, residues or odours, can ruin a load of starch. Inspect and reject. Ask your forwarder or depot for clean, food-grade-suitable equipment when shipping food ingredients.

Stowage matters. Bags stacked hard against the walls and roof take the brunt of condensation. Leave space, use lining where agreed, and secure the load.

Documents must match. The product name, grade, lot numbers, quantities and weights must agree across the invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of analysis, phytosanitary certificate and certificate of origin. A mismatch can delay clearance, cost a preferential rate or cause an LC discrepancy.

Quality terms need to be clear. Agree what is tested, by which method, where, and whose result prevails if loading and discharge results differ. Without that, a disagreement at destination becomes a negotiation with no rules.

Destination rules need to be known early. Particularly for China and for food-grade products, registration, inspection and labelling conditions should be confirmed before the contract is signed. Discovering a missing registration when the container is already at sea is expensive.

If you are new to a market or a product, a forwarder that handles agricultural exports regularly can help with the logistics side: container selection, stuffing supervision, fumigation timing and document checks. The commercial and regulatory specification, however, has to come from the contract, the buyer and the relevant authorities.