Setton International Foods, Inc.

Bill of Lading Data Analysis

A comprehensive analysis of the bill of lading records for Setton International Foods Inc reveals significant patterns in the company's procurement strategy, supply chain structure, and import volumes over the January 2021 to January 2022 period. The following analysis examines the key trends, supplier relationships, product distributions, and financial metrics extracted from the shipment data.

Product Category Breakdown: The shipment data clearly shows two dominant import categories. Cashew nuts under HS code 8013200 represent the largest portion of imports by both shipment frequency and total value. These shipments come exclusively from Vietnamese suppliers and include multiple grade variants: WW320 (the standard whole kernel grade), WW240 (a larger kernel grade commanding premium pricing), LP type (broken or pieces grade), and pasteurized variants of each grade. The second major category is dried vegetable chips under HS code 20059990, imported from Cong ty TNHH United Foods in Vietnam. This category includes seven distinct vegetable varieties: beetroot chips, carrot chips, okra chips, whole green bean chips, mixed zucchini chips, broccoli chips, and mixed vegetable chips. A minor third category consists of banana chips imported from the Philippines under HS code 200899.

Supplier Concentration Analysis: The supplier network is highly concentrated, with just two Vietnamese companies accounting for the vast majority of import activity. Cong ty TNHH Long Son Inter Foods (and its related entities Long Son BLB Co., Ltd and Cong ty Co phan Long Son) serves as the sole cashew nut supplier, delivering consistent monthly shipments throughout the entire period. This long-term, dedicated relationship suggests a deep strategic partnership with reliable supply chain integration. Cong ty TNHH United Foods operates as the exclusive dried vegetable chips supplier, making quarterly batch shipments in January, May, July, and December. The consistency of these relationships indicates mature, well-established supplier partnerships rather than opportunistic spot-market purchasing.

Cashew Grade Pricing Insights: Analysis of the per-unit pricing across different cashew grades reveals clear value hierarchies. The WW320 grade appears most frequently and represents the standard offering, while the WW240 grade consistently commands a significant price premium reflecting its larger kernel size and higher visual appeal. Pasteurized variants carry an additional premium over their non-pasteurized counterparts, indicating the added value of food safety processing. The unroasted incentive goods shipped by Cong ty Co phan Long Son in mid-2021 appear to be a special procurement channel, possibly related to Vietnamese government incentive programs for cashew exports.

Shipment Frequency and Volume Patterns: Cashew shipments occur at a remarkably consistent pace, with multiple consignments arriving nearly every month throughout the year. This regular cadence suggests that Setton International Foods maintains a just-in-time or continuous replenishment inventory strategy for cashew nuts, rather than making large seasonal purchases. The dried vegetable chip shipments, by contrast, follow a quarterly pattern aligned with production planning cycles. The single large banana chip shipment from the Philippines in January 2022 may represent a new product trial or seasonal procurement that could expand into a regular import stream.

Geographic Sourcing Strategy: Vietnam dominates the supply chain for Setton International Foods, serving as the origin country for both cashew nuts and dried vegetable chips. This geographic concentration provides operational efficiencies in logistics, quality control, and supplier relationship management. Vietnam is the world's leading cashew exporter and has a well-developed food processing industry capable of producing high-quality dried snack products. The addition of a Philippine supplier for banana chips in January 2022 suggests a strategic diversification of the product sourcing base, potentially to access specialized products not available from Vietnamese processors or to build supply chain resilience through geographic diversification.