According to statistics from Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association (VPSA), by the end of June 2024, Vietnam had exported 142,586 tonnes of pepper of all kinds, down 6.8% in volume but up 30.5% in turnover.
Of which, amount of black pepper exported reached 125,959 tonnes, white pepper reached 16,627 tonnes. Total export turnover reached 634.2 million USD, black pepper reached 539.9 million USD, white pepper reached 94.3 million USD.
In the first 6 months of 2024, the United States was Vietnam's largest pepper export market with a volume of 37,435 tonnes, up 44.6% over the same period last year, accounting for 26.3% of the market share.
Following markets such as Germany with 9,526 tonnes, up 106.7%; UAE reached 8,388 tonnes, up 15.2%; India reached 8,173 tonnes, up 45.7%, China reached 7,453 tonnes, down 85.2% and the Netherlands reached 6,019 tonnes, up 52.1%.
Leading white pepper export markets: Germany reached 2,454 tonnes, the US reached 2,044 tonnes, the Netherlands reached 1,779 tonnes, Thailand reached 1,732 tonnes and China reached 1,567 tonnes...
Along with that, Vietnam imported 18,002 tonnes of pepper of all kinds, of which black pepper reached 16,357 tonnes, white pepper reached 1,645 tonnes, total import turnover reached 69.6 million USD, up 18.9% over the same period last year. Three main pepper supplying countries to Vietnam include: Brazil reached 7,241 tonnes, down 22.3%; Cambodia reached 6,212 tonnes, up 34.5%; Indonesia reached 2,991 tonnes, up 67.3%.
Continuous increase in pepper prices is the reason why although export value increased, volume decreased. Currently, average export price of Vietnamese pepper has increased by 1,000 USD/tonne compared to the same period in 2023. Specifically, price of black pepper reached more than 4,300 USD/tonne, white pepper reached nearly 6,000 USD/tonne.
Main reason for sharp increase in pepper prices is that global pepper output has decreased significantly due to El Nino phenomenon and decline in planting area, amount of inventory from last year carried over to this year in Vietnam (the world's largest pepper exporter today) is almost insignificant while demand in major markets such as Europe, the United States and China has increased sharply.
According to VPSA's assessment, Vietnam's pepper output in 2024 is estimated to decrease by 10% compared to 2023, to only about 170,000 tonnes. This is the lowest level in the past 5 years. Regarding domestic enterprises, VPSA recommends that exporting enterprises be cautious in purchasing and exporting activities to avoid risks similar to recent decline in coffee or rice prices.

Source: Vitic/ congthuong.vn