Method for producing hydrated ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer pellets

A method of producing water-containing ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer pellets, comprising:

• a first step of introducing a water-containing ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer with a water content W1 from 10 to 90 mass % and at a temperature from 80° C. to 130° C. into an extruder for melt kneading;
• and
• a second step of cutting the water-containing ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer extruded from the extruder for obtaining water-containing ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer pellets, wherein
• the extruder has a back slit and water is discharged from the back slit,
• the water-containing ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer is extruded from the extruder at a temperature from 80° C. to 120° C.,
• the water-containing ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer extruded from the extruder has a water content W2 from 5 to 50 mass %, and
• a ratio (W2/W1) of the water content W2 to the water content W1 is 0.2 or more and less than 1.