ALTIS IMPEX SRL | Moldova Sunflower Seed Exporters And Export Bill of Lading Data

Updated: June 15, 2025 | Source: Bill of Lading Records, altisimpex.com | Page ID: PNUM6961

ALTIS IMPEX SRL is a Moldovan agricultural commodities trading and processing company that has established itself as a notable exporter of sunflower seeds and specialized pea ingredients from the Republic of Moldova. Headquartered in Comrat, the capital of the Gagauzia autonomous territorial unit in southern Moldova, with production facilities in the Vulcanesti Entrepreneurship Free Zone, Altis Impex operates at the intersection of Moldova's rich agricultural heritage and the growing global demand for oilseeds, plant-based proteins, and specialty crop ingredients. The company's export activities encompass both raw agricultural commodities, including sunflower seeds classified under HS code 1206, and value-added processed pea products, positioning Altis Impex as a diversified participant in Moldova's agri-export sector.

Moldova, one of the poorest economies in Europe, relies heavily on agricultural exports as a cornerstone of its foreign trade and economic development. The country's favorable climate, fertile black soils (chernozem), and long agricultural tradition make it a natural producer of sunflower seeds, which are among Moldova's most important cash crops. Moldova's sunflower seed production typically ranges between 300,000 and 500,000 metric tons annually, with a significant portion destined for export markets either as raw seeds for crushing or as feed-grade seeds for animal nutrition. Within this context, companies like Altis Impex SRL play a vital role in channeling Moldova's agricultural surplus to international markets, generating foreign exchange earnings and creating employment in rural areas where economic opportunities are otherwise limited.

Company Overview: ALTIS IMPEX SRL

ALTIS IMPEX SRL is a privately held limited liability company (SRL - Societate cu Rüspundere Limitată) registered in the Republic of Moldova. The company describes itself as the pioneer and leader in the production of dry fractionated pea ingredients in Moldova, reflecting a strategic focus on value-added processing of pulse crops that distinguishes it from pure commodity trading operations. Altis Impex combines agricultural commodity trading with industrial processing, operating both as an exporter of raw agricultural products like sunflower seeds and as a manufacturer of specialized pea-derived ingredients for feed and food applications.

The company maintains two principal locations in southern Moldova. Its head office is located at str. Gavrilov, 31/2, apartment (office) 23, Comrat, MD-3801, within the UTA Gagauzia (Găgăuzia) autonomous territorial unit. Comrat serves as the administrative and commercial center of Gagauzia, a Turkic-language autonomous region in southern Moldova with a strong agricultural economy. The production unit is situated at Korolenko 6, Vulcanesti, within the Entrepreneurship Free Zone Industrial Park "Valkanes." The Vulcanesti Free Zone location provides significant fiscal advantages for export-oriented production, including customs duty exemptions, VAT benefits on exported goods, and streamlined customs clearance procedures that reduce the administrative burden and cost of international shipments.

Altis Impex's corporate identification details include VAT number 4601028, CUIIO (state registration number) 41166623, Fiscal Code (IDNO) 1017611002133, DUNS number 535275175, and LEI code 894500GG0JG5R1QWS434. The company's sales geography spans 18 countries across 4 continents, with primary export flows directed toward the European Union and select destinations in Eastern Africa and Southeastern Asia. This geographic diversification reduces the company's dependence on any single market and provides resilience against regional demand fluctuations, trade policy changes, or economic disruptions in individual destination countries.

Contact Information

Bill of Lading Data and Shipment Records

The following bill of lading (B/L) data documents sunflower seed export shipments made by ALTIS IMPEX SRL, sourced from customs records and international trade databases. These shipment records provide concrete evidence of the company's export operations, revealing the destination markets, product types, shipment volumes, and transaction values associated with Altis Impex's sunflower seed trade. The documented shipments are directed to the Philippines, an emerging sunflower seed import market in Southeast Asia, and illustrate the long-distance trade routes that connect Moldovan agricultural exporters with buyers in the Asia-Pacific region.

Shipment 1: February 2022

Shipment 2: December 2021

Shipment Analysis

Analysis of the two documented shipments reveals several notable patterns in Altis Impex's sunflower seed export operations. Both shipments are directed to the Philippines, suggesting a developing trade relationship between the Moldovan exporter and Philippine agricultural commodity buyers. The shipment weights are remarkably consistent, with the February 2022 shipment at 24,580 kg and the December 2021 shipment at 24,440 kg, both representing approximately 24.5 metric tons. This consistency suggests that the shipments may correspond to full container loads (FCL) of 20-foot containers, which typically have a payload capacity of approximately 21-25 metric tons for bulk agricultural commodities, or partial loads of 40-foot containers.

The December 2021 shipment explicitly references "1X40 STC" (one 40-foot container, said to contain), indicating that at least some of Altis Impex's shipments utilize 40-foot containers for maritime transport. The significant difference in unit prices between the two shipments ($0.847/kg in February 2022 versus $0.419/kg in December 2021) is noteworthy and may reflect several factors: differences in sunflower seed quality grade (the February shipment is explicitly labeled "feed grade," while the December shipment description does not specify grade), fluctuations in global sunflower seed market prices between late 2021 and early 2022, different pricing terms (FOB versus CIF), or variations in oil content and seed quality that affect market valuation. The period from late 2021 to early 2022 was characterized by significant volatility in global oilseed markets due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which disrupted Black Sea sunflower seed and oil supplies and caused sharp price increases for sunflower products globally.

HS Code Classification: Sunflower Seeds (1206)

Sunflower seeds are classified under Chapter 12 of the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS), which covers "Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits; miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruit; industrial or medicinal plants; straw and fodder." The specific heading for sunflower seeds is HS 1206, defined as "Sunflower seeds, whether or not broken." This classification encompasses both confectionery-grade sunflower seeds (for direct human consumption as snacks or bakery ingredients) and oilseed-grade sunflower seeds (for crushing to produce sunflower oil and meal), as well as feed-grade sunflower seeds used in animal nutrition.

The HS code 1206.00.00.00 referenced in Altis Impex's shipment records corresponds to the general sunflower seeds heading, without further specification of end use or seed type. Within the more detailed subheading structure, sunflower seeds for sowing (seed-grade) are distinguished from those for other uses (oilseed, confectionery, or feed), which fall under subheading 1206.00.90. The "feed grade" designation on the February 2022 shipment indicates that the sunflower seeds were intended for animal feed rather than oil crushing or direct human consumption, typically implying lower oil content and quality specifications compared to oilseed or confectionery grades. Feed-grade sunflower seeds are valued primarily for their protein and fiber content, with the residual oil content providing caloric density for livestock and poultry rations.

Related HS classifications in the sunflower value chain include HS 1512 (sunflower-seed, safflower or cotton-seed oil and fractions thereof), HS 2306.30 (oilcake and other solid residues resulting from the extraction of sunflower-seed oil), and HS 1209.30 (sunflower seeds for sowing, under the seeds for sowing heading). For Moldovan exporters, the classification of sunflower seed shipments under the correct HS subheading is important for determining applicable export duties, VAT treatment, and the customs tariff rates applied by destination countries. The Philippines applies a most-favored-nation (MFN) duty rate of 5% on sunflower seeds under HS 1206, though rates may vary under any applicable preferential trade arrangements.

Moldova's Sunflower Seed Industry

Moldova's sunflower seed industry is one of the country's most important agricultural sectors, reflecting the crop's natural adaptability to the Moldovan climate and soil conditions. Sunflower is Moldova's leading oilseed crop and one of its most widely cultivated field crops, with annual planting areas typically ranging between 200,000 and 300,000 hectares, representing approximately 15-20% of Moldova's total arable land. The country's sunflower seed production has historically ranged between 300,000 and 500,000 metric tons per year, though output varies significantly based on weather conditions, particularly rainfall during the critical growing period from April through August.

Moldova's chernozem (black earth) soils, which cover approximately 75% of the country's territory, provide excellent conditions for sunflower cultivation, offering high natural fertility, good moisture retention, and favorable physical structure for root development. The continental climate with warm summers (average July temperatures of 20-25°C) and moderate rainfall (400-600 mm annually, though highly variable) is well-suited to sunflower production, which requires warm growing conditions and is relatively drought-tolerant compared to other oilseed crops. The southern regions of Moldova, including Gagauzia where Altis Impex is headquartered, are particularly productive sunflower-growing areas, benefiting from slightly warmer temperatures and the agricultural traditions of local farming communities.

The Moldovan sunflower seed sector has undergone significant structural transformation since the country's independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The post-Soviet privatization of collective farms (kolkhozes) and state farms (sovkhozes) resulted in the fragmentation of large-scale agricultural operations into smaller private farms, which initially reduced productivity but gradually led to the emergence of more market-responsive farming structures. In recent years, land consolidation and the growth of larger commercial farming operations have improved productivity and quality, while investment in modern oilseed processing equipment has enhanced the value-added processing capacity of the Moldovan crushing sector. Moldova operates several sunflower seed crushing plants with a combined annual processing capacity estimated at 350,000-400,000 metric tons, meaning that a substantial portion of the domestic sunflower seed crop is processed domestically into crude and refined sunflower oil for both domestic consumption and export.

The export of raw sunflower seeds, as practiced by companies like Altis Impex, represents an alternative market channel for Moldovan sunflower production that is particularly attractive when export prices for raw seeds exceed the netback value from domestic crushing (i.e., the value of oil and meal produced minus crushing costs). In periods of tight global oilseed supply, raw seed export prices can be very competitive, especially for feed-grade sunflower seeds that may not meet the oil content specifications required by domestic crushers but are suitable for animal feed applications in importing countries. Moldova's sunflower seed exports are directed primarily to traditional markets in the European Union (Romania, Bulgaria, the Netherlands), Turkey, and increasingly to more distant destinations in Asia and Africa, as demonstrated by Altis Impex's shipments to the Philippines.

Sunflower Seed Export Market Dynamics

The global sunflower seed market is shaped by the dynamics of the wider oilseed complex, which includes soybeans, rapeseed/canola, palm kernel, and cottonseed as competing oilseed crops. Sunflower seeds occupy a distinct niche within this complex, valued for their high-quality edible oil (rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly linoleic acid in traditional varieties and oleic acid in high-oleic varieties), their use as a confectionery snack (particularly in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and East Asia), and their application as bird feed and animal feed ingredients. Global sunflower seed production is concentrated in a small number of major producing countries, with Ukraine and Russia together accounting for approximately 50-55% of world output, followed by the European Union, Argentina, Turkey, and Moldova as significant secondary producers.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict that escalated in February 2022 has had a profound impact on global sunflower seed and sunflower oil markets, given that Ukraine and Russia are the world's two largest producers and exporters. The disruption of Black Sea shipping routes, damage to Ukrainian agricultural infrastructure, and trade sanctions on Russian agricultural exports created significant supply gaps in the global sunflower market, leading to sharp price increases and supply shortfalls in destination markets that had previously relied heavily on Black Sea origin sunflower products. This supply disruption created opportunities for alternative producers like Moldova to increase their market share and command higher prices, as buyers sought to diversify their sourcing away from the conflict-affected Black Sea region. The timing of Altis Impex's February 2022 shipment, coming immediately after the escalation of the conflict, may reflect this market dynamic, with the significantly higher unit price in the February 2022 shipment ($0.847/kg) compared to the December 2021 shipment ($0.419/kg) potentially capturing the war-driven price spike in global sunflower seed markets.

For Moldova specifically, the sunflower seed export market is influenced by several country-specific factors. Moldova's Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) agreement with the European Union provides duty-free access for Moldovan agricultural exports to the EU market, subject to tariff rate quotas (TRQs) for sensitive products. For sunflower seeds, the DCFTA has facilitated increased exports to EU member states, particularly Romania and Bulgaria, which have well-developed crushing industries that process Moldovan origin seeds into oil and meal. Beyond the EU, Moldova's sunflower seed exports to non-EU markets operate on MFN or bilateral agreement terms, with the Philippines and other Asian destinations offering growth potential for Moldovan exporters seeking to diversify beyond their traditional European market base.

Philippines as a Sunflower Seed Import Market

The Philippines represents an emerging and potentially significant market for sunflower seed imports, driven by the country's growing livestock and poultry industry, which creates demand for feed-grade oilseeds and protein meals as ingredients in compound animal feeds. The Philippine agricultural sector has been expanding its commercial poultry and swine operations in response to rising domestic meat consumption driven by population growth, urbanization, and increasing household incomes. This expansion has generated corresponding growth in demand for feed ingredients, including protein meals (soybean meal, canola meal, sunflower meal) and whole oilseeds (soybeans, sunflower seeds) that provide both protein and energy in livestock rations.

Both of Altis Impex's documented sunflower seed shipments are directed to Philippine buyers, providing insight into the market structure and buyer profile for sunflower seed imports into the Philippines. The first buyer, MCR AGRI VENTURE CORP., appears to be a Philippine agricultural commodity trading company focused on the import and distribution of agricultural raw materials for the domestic feed and food industries. The second buyer, PRIME MJ INTERNATIONAL TRADING CORP., is similarly a Philippine trading company engaged in international commodity trade. These trading companies serve as intermediaries between overseas suppliers like Altis Impex and end-users in the Philippine feed milling and food processing industries, handling import logistics, customs clearance, and domestic distribution.

The Philippines' sunflower seed imports have been growing in recent years as feed formulators seek alternatives and supplements to soybean meal, which is the dominant protein ingredient in Philippine compound feeds but is subject to price volatility and supply concentration risks linked to South American soybean production. Sunflower seed meal, produced by crushing imported sunflower seeds or importing pre-crushed meal, offers a cost-effective protein supplement with approximately 28-40% crude protein content (depending on whether it is hulled or dehulled meal), making it a valuable ingredient in poultry and swine rations. Feed-grade whole sunflower seeds, as exported by Altis Impex, can be fed directly to livestock or processed domestically into meal and oil, providing flexibility for Philippine importers to choose the most economically efficient utilization pathway based on local market conditions and processing infrastructure.

The trade route from Moldova to the Philippines involves maritime shipping through the Mediterranean Sea, Suez Canal, Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and South China Sea, with typical transit times of 25-40 days depending on the specific vessel routing, transshipment requirements, and port schedules. Moldova's primary export port is the Port of Giurgiulesti on the Danube River, which provides access to the Danube-Black Sea shipping route and onward connection to Mediterranean and global maritime networks. Alternatively, Moldovan exports may be routed through the Romanian Port of Constanta on the Black Sea coast, approximately 200 km from Chisinau, which offers more extensive container shipping services and direct connections to major Mediterranean transshipment hubs. The logistics of shipping Moldovan sunflower seeds to the Philippines represent a significant cost component, with freight rates for this long-distance route typically ranging from $40-80 per metric ton depending on vessel availability, fuel costs, and market conditions.

Product Portfolio: Pea Ingredients and Sunflower Seeds

ALTIS IMPEX SRL's product portfolio reflects its dual positioning as both a sunflower seed and agricultural commodity exporter and a specialized pea ingredients producer. This diversification across product categories provides revenue stability and allows the company to serve multiple market segments with overlapping customer bases in the feed and food industries.

Sunflower Seed Products

Altis Impex exports sunflower seeds from Moldova in various grades tailored to different end-use applications. The documented B/L data references "feed grade" sunflower seeds, indicating seeds that are primarily valued for their nutritional content in animal feed rather than their oil content for crushing or their appearance and size for confectionery use. Feed-grade sunflower seeds typically have lower oil content (28-35% versus 40-50% for high-oil crushing varieties), may include a higher proportion of mixed or off-grade seeds that do not meet the strict visual and size specifications for confectionery markets, and are priced at a discount to oilseed and confectionery grades. Despite the lower per-unit value, feed-grade sunflower seeds provide significant nutritional benefits in animal rations, contributing protein (approximately 17-20% crude protein), fat (providing concentrated energy), and fiber to poultry, swine, and ruminant diets.

Pea Ingredient Products

Altis Impex's core value-added product line consists of dry fractionated pea ingredients, which the company produces at its Vulcanesti facility. The pea fractionation process involves milling yellow or green peas and physically separating the milled components into distinct ingredient fractions based on particle size and density differences. This process yields three primary product streams:

• Pea Fiber: The fibrous outer coating and cell wall material fractionated from peas, used primarily in animal feed applications as a source of dietary fiber. Pea fiber improves gut health and digestive function in monogastric animals, provides bulk to feed rations, and can serve as a partial replacement for more expensive fiber sources like beet pulp or wheat bran in feed formulations.
• Native Pea Starch: The starch fraction separated from pea protein and fiber during fractionation. Native pea starch has unique functional properties including high amylose content, good gel strength, and resistance to shear, making it valuable in pet food applications as a binding and texturizing agent. Pea starch is increasingly sought as a grain-free alternative to corn, wheat, and potato starch in premium pet food formulations targeting consumers who seek to avoid common cereal grains in their pets' diets.
• Pea Protein Concentrate: The protein-rich fraction concentrated during fractionation, typically containing 40-55% crude protein. Pea protein concentrate is used in pet food and aquaculture feed applications as a plant-based protein source that can partially replace animal protein ingredients like fish meal and poultry by-product meal. The growth of the premium pet food market and the expansion of aquaculture production globally are driving increasing demand for pea protein ingredients, positioning Altis Impex in a structurally growing market segment.

Split Pea and Bean Products

In addition to its fractionated pea ingredients and sunflower seed exports, Altis Impex is a producer and regular exporter of yellow and green split peas for human food and bird feed applications. Split peas are a traditional food product produced by dehulling whole peas and splitting them along their natural cleavage plane, resulting in a product that cooks more quickly than whole peas and is a staple ingredient in many cuisines worldwide, including European split pea soup, Indian dal, and Middle Eastern stews. The company also markets imported edible beans including navy beans, red beans, and white alubia-type beans, serving both human food and pet food markets with a range of pulse crop products.

Gagauzia and the Vulcanesti Free Zone

Altis Impex's location in the Gagauzia autonomous territorial unit of the Republic of Moldova is a significant aspect of the company's operating environment and competitive positioning. Gagauzia (Găgăuzia in Romanian, Gagauziya in Gagauz) is an autonomous region in southern Moldova, inhabited predominantly by the Gagauz people, a Turkic ethnic group of Orthodox Christian faith. The region encompasses three non-contiguous districts centered on the cities of Comrat (the capital), Ceadir-Lunga, and Vulcanesti, with a total population of approximately 155,000. Gagauzia's economy is overwhelmingly agricultural, with sunflower cultivation, wheat production, viticulture, and livestock farming as the primary economic activities, providing a natural base for agricultural trading and processing companies like Altis Impex.

The Vulcanesti Entrepreneurship Free Zone, where Altis Impex's production unit is located, is one of Moldova's seven designated free economic zones (FEZs) established under the Law on Free Economic Zones to attract investment and promote export-oriented production. Companies operating within the Vulcanesti FEZ benefit from a range of fiscal incentives designed to enhance the competitiveness of export production, including exemption from customs duties on imported raw materials and equipment intended for use within the zone, reduced or zero profit tax rates for a defined period (typically 3-10 years depending on the investment volume), VAT exemptions on goods and services produced and exported from the zone, and simplified customs procedures that reduce the administrative burden and processing time for export shipments. For Altis Impex, these fiscal incentives significantly reduce the cost structure of its pea ingredient production and sunflower seed export operations, enabling more competitive pricing in international markets compared to companies operating in the standard fiscal regime outside the free zone.

The Industrial Park "Valkanes" within the Vulcanesti FEZ provides industrial infrastructure including production facilities, utilities connections, and logistics services that support Altis Impex's processing operations. The park's designation as part of the free zone ensures that all goods produced within its boundaries benefit from the zone's customs and fiscal advantages, provided they are exported outside Moldova. This framework creates a powerful incentive for export-oriented production and has been instrumental in attracting agri-processing investment to the Gagauzia region, contributing to local employment generation and economic development in one of Moldova's less economically advanced areas.

Quality Standards and Certifications

ALTIS IMPEX SRL states that its facilities are operating and certified in accordance with ISO standards, reflecting the company's commitment to quality management and food safety compliance that is essential for accessing international markets and meeting the requirements of professional buyers in the food and feed industries. While the company's website does not specify the particular ISO certifications held, the context of its product range and export markets suggests that the following certifications are likely relevant:

• ISO 9001 (Quality Management System): The international standard for quality management systems, ensuring that the company maintains documented processes for quality control, continuous improvement, and customer satisfaction. ISO 9001 certification is widely expected by international buyers as a baseline quality assurance requirement.
• ISO 22000 / FSSC 22000 (Food Safety Management System): Given that Altis Impex produces food and feed ingredients (pea fiber, pea starch, pea protein, split peas), food safety management certification based on HACCP principles is critical for market access, particularly for exports to the European Union where food safety requirements under the General Food Law Regulation (EC 178/2002) are stringent.
• GMP+ Feed Safety Assurance: For companies producing animal feed ingredients like pea fiber, native pea starch, and feed-grade sunflower seeds, GMP+ certification provides assurance that feed safety requirements are met throughout the production chain, as required by EU feed safety regulations (Regulation EC 183/2005).
• NON-GMO Verification: While Moldova has restrictions on GMO crop cultivation, non-GMO verification or certification may be sought by Altis Impex to meet the requirements of buyers in markets where non-GMO sourcing is a commercial or regulatory requirement, particularly in the European Union and premium pet food segments.

The company's possession of a DUNS number (535275175) and LEI code (894500GG0JG5R1QWS434) reflects its engagement with international business identification systems that facilitate global trade transactions, credit assessments, and regulatory reporting. The DUNS number, assigned by Dun & Bradstreet, is widely used in international business-to-business transactions for supplier verification and credit risk assessment. The LEI (Legal Entity Identifier) code is required for participation in certain financial transactions and regulatory reporting frameworks under the Financial Stability Board's Global LEI system, indicating that Altis Impex may engage in international financial transactions that require LEI identification.

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