Who are the two biggest importers of Vietnam’s cashew?
Cashew nut exports in the first half of 2022 faced many difficulties due to reduced consumption, small orders, etc, but still, retain an important role in major markets such as the US and China.
According to data from the General Department of Customs, in June 2022, cashew nut exports were estimated at nearly US$285 million, down 6.9% in volume and 6.5% in value compared to May 2022. Accumulating 6 months, cashew nut exports are estimated at more than 1.5 billion USD, down 9.2% over the same period in 2021.
According to the Import-Export Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade), Vietnam is currently the number 1 supplier of cashew nuts to the US and China, and Vietnam’s cashew nut market share in these two markets has gone up.
Specifically, data from the US International Trade Commission shows that in the first 6 months of the year, the US imported 80,000 tons of cashew nuts, equivalent to US$ 521 million, up 4% in volume and 8.5% in value compared to the same period in 2021.
Vietnam’s cashew nut market share in total US imports increased from 88.3% in the first 6 months of 2021 to 89.9% in the first 6 months of 2022.
In contrast, the cashew nut market share of Brazil and India in total US imports decreased, from 3.8% and 1.9% in the first 6 months of 2021 to 2.2% and 1% respectively in the first 6 months of 2022.
According to the Chinese Customs, the cashew nut imports of this market in the first 6 months of the year reached 141.5 million USD, up 134% over the same period in 2021, In which, Vietnam is the largest source of cashew nuts for China with US$125 million, up 146% over the same period in 2021. Vietnam’s cashew nut market share in China’s total import value increased from 83.7% in the first 6 months of 2021 to 88.2% in the first 6 months of 2022.
Market current situation
The market is still weak and there is not much buying demand. According to the Vietnam Cashew Association (VINACAS), it is very difficult to consume cashew kernels due to influences from the destination markets this year. Currently, inflation in countries has reached a very high level compared to the previous period.
With the current price of all items being so expensive, people have to spend more money on essential needs, which leads to non-essential items such as cashews being consumed slowly and the price of cashews is also very low and difficult to increase at this time.