Why there is no single global price for dates

A price per kilogram is not a market benchmark until the product and delivery basis are defined. Medjool, Sukkary, Ajwa, Khalas, industrial material, paste and syrup are not interchangeable price points.

Three numbers that are often confused

1. Customs export unit value

Public trade databases such as UN Comtrade report trade value and net weight under HS classifications. Dividing value by weight can produce an export or import unit value. It is useful for directional analysis, but it is not a live quotation.

HS 080410 covers dates, fresh or dried. The dataset can combine multiple varieties, grades, crop conditions, pack formats and commercial channels. The resulting average cannot identify the specification inside an individual shipment.

2. Farm-gate or producer price

FAOSTAT producer-price data describes prices received at the farm gate or first point of sale. It does not represent the later cost of grading, processing, packing, inland transport, export documentation, freight, customs or destination delivery.

3. A comparable commercial quotation

A supplier quotation becomes comparable only after variety or raw material, grade, size, moisture or condition, crop year, whole or pitted format, certification, packaging, quantity, currency, payment terms, Incoterm, port or destination, validity and documentation are aligned.

The landed-cost question

The buyer's real benchmark is the cost of saleable product at the required destination. That assessment may include purchase price, origin transport, export documentation, freight, insurance, duty, customs clearance, destination transport, financing and an appropriate quality or rejection allowance.

Incoterms allocate delivery tasks, costs and risk between counterparties. They do not by themselves confirm product quality, regulatory acceptance or the final landed cost.

What makes date pricing move

Commercial value can change with variety, origin, grade and size, moisture and condition, crop year, pitted or whole presentation, organic status, pack format, order quantity, current availability and delivery basis. Date paste, syrup, powder and feed-grade material require their own specification-level comparisons.

How VAULTRADE approaches comparison

VAULTRADE first aligns the product requirement and evidence base. Comparable written offers can then be assessed against specification, certification, packaging, logistics responsibilities, timing and destination-ready cost—not simply ranked by the lowest headline number.

Current quotations, supplier identities, purchase prices, transaction terms and margins remain private. Commercial proposals are issued directly to qualified counterparties.

Public reference points

For trade value and net-weight context, consult UN Comtrade using HS 080410. For producer-price context and definitions, consult FAO price data and FAOSTAT.