Buyer guide: Merluccius hubbsi
Argentine hake HGT buyer's guide: grades, sea-frozen vs land-frozen, packing
Headed and gutted Argentine hake is a raw material for processors and a staple for some markets. Suppliers publish different grade systems, and the export statistics show that it sells to different countries than hake fillets.
Last reviewed . First published 2026-11-11.
H&G or HGT: what the codes mean
| HG or H&G | Headed and gutted (tail on) |
|---|---|
| HGT | Headed, gutted, tail off |
Definitions as used in a 2019 decree of Chubut province on hubbsi hake, reported by Seafood Media. Estrella Patagonica describes its HGT as "head off, gut off, tail off" (EPSA) and Santa Rita as "eviscerated hake, headless and tailless" (Santa Rita).
Both forms are sold frozen, by weight grade per fish. Write the cut in the request: a buyer who needs tail-on fish for a particular yield calculation should not receive HGT.
Weight grades compared across suppliers
There is no common grade table. Each producer publishes its own weight bands, and some also use number codes.
| Source | Freezing | Grades (grams per fish) | Presentation and net weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estrella Patagonica (AR) | Sea frozen | Nº 00 80-200; Nº 0 200-300; Nº 1X 300-400; Nº 1 400-500; Nº 2 500-800; Nº 3C 800-1200; Nº 3L 1200-1500; Nº 4 1500-2000; Nº 5 over 2000 | Interleaved, 15-18 kg (first three grades); "IWP", 10-15 kg (larger grades) |
| Seaman International | At sea and on land | 80-200; 200-400; 400-600; 600-1000 | At sea: frozen at sea, interleaved. On land: interleaved and IQF |
| Santa Rita Seafood (Mar del Plata) | Plant (land) | 80/300; 300/500; 500 up | Frozen in blocks or interleaved; 2 x 10 kg, 20 kg box |
Where they disagree: the smallest band is 80-200 g at two suppliers and 80-300 g at the third, and the next band starts at 200 g or 300 g. "500 up" at one supplier covers four separate grades at another. Always state the band in grams, and the code only if you also give the grams.
Sea-frozen or land-frozen HGT
- Sea frozen: Seaman lists its at-sea HGT as "frozen at sea, interleaved" (Seaman). EPSA's sea-frozen HGT page names its "EU authorized producer establishments" (Anabella M 3167, Carolina P 3166), which buyers can check against the EU list for the lot they are offered (EPSA).
- Land frozen: Seaman lists on-land HGT as interleaved and IQF; Santa Rita, a Mar del Plata plant, freezes HGT in blocks or interleaved (Seaman; Santa Rita).
- Interleaved, block or IQF changes thawing and handling at your plant, so state which one you need.
We found no public, neutral source comparing the quality of sea-frozen and land-frozen hake HGT, so we do not rank them. Ask each supplier for a specification sheet and a sample.
Who buys Argentine whole and HGT hake: 2025 exports
Official 2025 export data (SAGyP, based on INDEC) group whole, H&G and HGT hake in one line, and cover Merluccius species. In tonnes:
| Product line (2025) | Tonnes | Share of hake export tonnage |
|---|---|---|
| Frozen fillets | 68,955 | 54% |
| Whole / H&G / HGT | 54,454 | 43% |
| Preparations and preserves | 3,417 | 3% |
| Fresh or chilled fillets | 596 | 0.5% |
| Total | 127,422 |
Largest destinations, whole / H&G / HGT
Russia 19,506 t; Ukraine 4,589 t; Jordan 2,649 t; Ghana 2,264 t; North Macedonia 2,225 t; Spain 2,132 t; Lebanon 2,008 t.
Largest destinations, frozen fillets
Spain 21,534 t; Brazil 21,049 t; United States 6,076 t; Poland 3,516 t; Russia 2,341 t.
Source: SAGyP, Exportaciones e importaciones pesqueras 2025, tables "Merluzas (Merluccius spp.) exportaciones por productos 2025" and "destino de las exportaciones por productos 2025". The report notes that export data are not related to production or catch, and that some destinations are confidential. We show tonnes only.
The point for buyers: in 2025 Russia alone took about 36% of the whole, H&G and HGT tonnage (19,506 of 54,454 t, our arithmetic), and the rest was spread over many smaller markets, while Spain and Brazil together took about 62% of frozen fillet tonnage (42,583 of 68,955 t).
Labelling and documents to check (EU)
- Glaze: where a food has been glazed, the declared net weight must exclude the glaze (Regulation (EU) 1169/2011, Annex IX). Agree the glaze percentage and how net weight is checked.
- Date of freezing: frozen unprocessed fishery products need the date of freezing, or of first freezing, shown as "Frozen on ..." (Regulation 1169/2011, Annex III point 6 and Annex X). Ask your importer whether your product falls in this category.
- Consumer information: fishery products offered to the final consumer or a mass caterer in the EU must show the commercial and scientific name, production method, catch area, fishing gear category and whether the product was defrosted (Regulation (EU) 1379/2013, Article 35). For Argentine hake: Merluccius hubbsi, caught, Southwest Atlantic.
- Sustainability claims: Argentine hake is not MSC certified; a fishery improvement project covers the southern stock (CeDePesca; MSC search). See our MSC status page.
Checklist for an HGT quote request
- Cut: H&G (tail on) or HGT (tail off)
- Weight band in grams per fish, and the share allowed outside the band
- Sea frozen or land frozen; interleaved, block or IQF
- Carton net weight and whether it includes glaze; declared glaze percentage
- Labelling language and the mandatory fields for your market
- Volume per shipment, frequency, Incoterm (FOB, CFR or CIF) and target shipment month
- Audits or certificates your customer requires
Not legal or commercial advice. This page summarises public documents for orientation only. Rules, seasons and certificates change. Confirm every requirement with the issuing authority, your customs broker and your supplier before you buy.
Sources for this page
All links checked 2026-11-11. Supplier pages are examples published by sellers, not standards. Full site list on our sources page.
- Seafood Media, 6 Apr 2019: Chubut decree on HG and HGT hubbsi hake (definitions)
- Estrella Patagonica S.A. (Argentina), Hubbsi hake HGT
- Seaman International, product range page
- Santa Rita Seafood (Mar del Plata), products
- SAGyP, Direccion de Planificacion Pesquera: Exportaciones e importaciones pesqueras y acuicolas 2025 (based on INDEC)
- CeDePesca: Argentine hake (bottom trawl) Fishery Improvement Project
- MSC Fisheries search for "hubbsi" (0 results on 11 Nov 2026)
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food information to consumers (EUR-Lex)
- Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013, common market organisation for fishery products, Article 35 (EUR-Lex)
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