AsemconnectVietnam - Vietnam imported roughly 795,500 tonnes of raw cashew nuts worth US$1.06 billion during the first four months of the year, marking a rise of 4.8% in volume but a reduction of 7.1% in value year on year.

The General Department of Customs reported that Cambodia is currently the largest supplier of raw cashew nuts to the Vietnamese market, making up 63.8% of the total.
This is followed by imports from African countries such as Tanzania, the Ivory Coast, and Ghana with turnovers of US$149.1 million, US$58 million, and US$36 million, respectively.
In the January - April period, Vietnam earned US$952.5 million from exporting cashew nuts to worldwide markets, up 4.5% year on year. The average export price reached US$5,846 per tonne, a decline of 1.8% compared to the same period last year.
Cashew exports in April hit record high
Vietnam exported 51,400 tonnes of cashew worth US$305.48 million throughout April, representing a rise of 5.6% in volume and 5.2% in value compared to April last year and reaching the highest level since October 2021, according to figures released by the General Department of Vietnam Customs. During the course of the four-month period, the country shipped 162,400 tonnes of cashew worth US$952.5 million, marking an increase of 6.1% in volume and 4.5% in value against the same period from last year.
April alone witnessed the average export price of Vietnamese cashew nuts reach US$5,944 per tonne, the highest level since October 2022, while the four-month export value stood at US$5,865 per tonne, a drop of 1.5% compared to last year's corresponding period.
Cashew nut exports during the opening four months of the year to the United States, the Netherlands, Australia, Canada, and Germany saw a downward trajectory, while exports to markets such as China, the United Arab Emirates, the UK, and Saudi Arabia experienced an upward trend.
Proposes import tax on cashew kernels
Vietnam Cashew Association (Vinacas) has sent an official dispatch to the Ministry of Industry and Trade to propose a tax on cashew kernels imported from Africa to protect domestic cashew processing. According to Vinacas, Viet Nam needs to negotiate soon and sign bilateral trade agreements with African countries. That will have import and export tax exemptions for each other's goods, including raw cashew nuts exported from Africa to Viet Nam.
In case no bilateral trade agreements have been reached, Viet Nam should impose a 25 per cent import tax on cashew kernels like India, Vinacas said.
India imposes an import tax of 25 per cent on Viet Nam's products exported to this market to protect its domestic cashew industry. Meanwhile, Viet Nam has no similar measures for protecting domestic production.
Seeks new policy to stem low-quality imports
The Vietnam Cashew Association (Vinacas) fears that the current import-export policy will drive domestic processing enterprises to bankruptcy, affecting the national cashew brand, which has been built with great efforts over many years.
Vinacas has asked the Vietnam Confederation of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Export-Import Department of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) to help them overcome serious difficulties.
Vietnam has led the world’s cashew nut supply chain over many years, but the position is under threat. Vietnam will be dethroned if it doesn’t change its strategy and prevent risk soon.
The current situation is the result of a policy allowing the import of cashew nuts without any measures to protect the local cashew processing industry.
According to Vinacas, over 10,158 tons of cashew nuts, or 44,000 tons of raw nuts, were imported to Vietnam in January and February 2023.
Binh Phuoc province expands intercropping on cashew farms
The south-eastern province of Binh Phuoc plans to intercrop and breed livestock in 10,000ha of cashew orchards by 2025 to increase farmers’ incomes. Bu Đang District will account for 8,000ha, Bu Gia Map for 1,000ha and the remaining localities for 1,000ha, according to the province People’s Committee’s plan of intercropping other plants and breeding animals.
The plan targets growing coffee, cacao or medicinal plants, intercropping one, two or more varieties of plants, and raising chickens, ducks or goats.
Besides, it aims to increase the intercropping area to 15,000ha by 2030.
In recent years this model has offered farmers higher incomes than monoculture crops, according to the province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
T.Huong
Source: Vitic