VINAGRI News - Vietnamese enterprises spent nearly USD 4 billion importing raw cashew nuts from various countries over the first 10 months of 2025, as global raw material prices continued to climb. Notably, almost 1 million tonnes of raw cashew from Cambodia entered Vietnam during this period.
Summary:
> Vietnam imported 2.6 million tonnes of raw cashew worth USD 4 billion in 10 months.
> Import prices surged 21% to USD 1,523 per tonne.
> Cambodia supplied nearly 1 million tonnes, worth USD 1.47 billion.
> Raw material shortage threatens Vietnam’s processing industry.
> Regional producers are shifting toward local processing to capture more value.
According to data from the General Department of Customs, Vietnam exported 628,092 tonnes of processed cashew kernels worth USD 4.28 billion as of the end of October - up only 2.8% in volume but rising sharply 19.4% in value year-on-year.
On the import side, to maintain processing operations, domestic enterprises spent nearly USD 4 billion to import 2.6 million tonnes of raw cashew, marking an increase of 12.9% in volume and 37.1% in value compared with the same period in 2024.
The average import price of raw cashew reached USD 1,523 per tonne, up 21% year-on-year, reflecting a steep rise in input costs for the processing industry.
While the current import value has not surpassed the record USD 4.1 billion in 2021, it has already exceeded levels seen in 2022, 2023, and 2024 - underscoring the strong growth in raw material imports this year.
The surge in imports highlights the cost pressure faced by cashew processors, as Vietnam must import 80 - 90% of its raw cashew to sustain export production.
Cambodia remains Vietnam’s largest supplier of raw cashew nuts. In just 10 months, the country exported nearly 1 million tonnes of raw cashew worth about USD 1.47 billion, up 18.5% in volume and 39% in value - the highest level since 2022.
In recent years, Cambodia has rapidly expanded its cashew cultivation areas, becoming the world’s second-largest producer of raw cashew nuts. According to the Cambodia Cashew Association, the country earned USD 1.15 billion from cashew exports in 2024, up 31% year-on-year, with about 90% shipped to Vietnam.
Vietnamese customs data show that Cambodian raw cashews consistently account for a large share of Vietnam’s total imports: 44.7% in 2021, 35.4% in 2022, 40.8% in 2023, and 26.2% in 2024. In the first 10 months of 2025, Cambodia held a 36.8% share.
Beyond Cambodia, Vietnam also sources substantial quantities of raw cashew from Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Ghana, and Tanzania to maintain its status as the world’s leading cashew kernel exporter.
According to industry estimates, Vietnam requires over 3.5 million tonnes of raw cashew annually for processing, while domestic production provides only about 300,000 tonnes. The rest must be imported.
As a result, processors are facing difficulties due to the high cost of raw cashew imports, with prices sometimes rising faster than the export price of processed kernels, leading to losses at many factories.
Experts have also warned that Cambodia and African nations are shifting from exporting raw cashew to semi-processing and value-added production, which could further tighten Vietnam’s access to raw materials. Without a strategic plan to develop domestic cashew supplies, more factories in Vietnam may be forced to suspend operations in the near future due to raw material shortages.
NPK/ Vinagri News
No comments:
Post a Comment