Nut Butters: export from Canada to Southeast Asia
Nut butters are specified on grind (smooth or crunchy, and the particle size within each) plus added ingredients and whether the product is stabilised.
Oil separation is the single most common consumer complaint and it is a formulation decision. Natural unstabilised butters separate; stabilised ones do not. Which is correct depends entirely on the destination market's expectation, and those expectations differ sharply: some markets read separation as a mark of authenticity, others as spoilage. Establish it before formulating.
As with roasted nuts, the raw material is generally imported, so origin claims should follow the nut rather than the manufacturing location.
Rancidity governs real shelf life, and allergen management governs compliance. Both require destination-specific validation, not a Canadian default, and precautionary labelling rules in particular vary by market.
Nut butters classify apart from whole nuts, with peanut butter frequently in a separate line from tree nut butters. Send the exact composition, since blends can classify differently from single-nut products.
Canadian export requirements
- HS classification
- 2008.11 (Ground-nuts, otherwise prepared or preserved) for peanut butter; butters of other nuts fall in 2008.19
- CFIA certificates
- Available on request: send your specification and destination and we'll confirm within five working days.
Six-market position
| Market | MFN duty | Preferential | Registration category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | On request | On request | On request |
| Thailand | On request | On request | On request |
| Philippines | On request | On request | On request |
| Indonesia | On request | On request | On request |
| Malaysia | On request | On request | On request |
| Singapore | On request | On request | On request |
MFN duty is the destination's applied general rate for this tariff line. Preferential is the rate under an agreement in force between Canada and that market.
Both are customs duty only: destination excise, value-added tax and local levies are additional and are not shown here.
Available on request: send your specification and destination and we'll confirm within five working days.
Commercial terms
- Producing provinces
- Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Alberta
- Seasonality
- Year-round production
- Pack formats
- Retail jars, Foodservice pails, Bulk drums
- Container configuration
- On request
- Indicative MOQ
- On request
Common questions
- What is the HS code for nut butters?
- 2008.11 (Ground-nuts, otherwise prepared or preserved) for peanut butter; butters of other nuts fall in 2008.19. This was read from Canada Border Services Agency on 2026-09-18. The first six digits are the same in every country that uses the Harmonised System; digits beyond that are set by the destination.
Sources
- Customs Tariff (T2026), Chapter 20 · Canada Border Services Agency, retrieved September 18, 2026
Last reviewed: September 1, 2026