Dak Nong (Lam Dong Province) recorded the country's highest pepper price at VND140,500 per kg. Pepper in Dak Lak traded at VND140,000 per kg. In Ba Ria-Vung Tau (Ho Chi Minh City), pepper was purchased at VND137,500 per kg, while prices in Dong Nai and Gia Lai stood at VND137,000 per kg.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Vietnam harvested 267,300 tonnes of pepper in the first half of 2026, up 5% from the same period last year.
Data from the Vietnam Customs Department showed that pepper exports reached 24,100 tonnes worth an estimated US$160.6 million in June 2026, up 3.6% in volume and 2.1% in value from June 2025.

In the first six months of 2026, Vietnam exported 146,000 tonnes of pepper worth approximately US$950.2 million, up 18.5% in volume and 12.1% in value from the same period in 2025. The average export price of the commodity, often referred to as Vietnam's "black gold", stood at US$6,508 per tonne.

The United States remained Vietnam's largest export market for pepper during the first half of the year. U.S. buyers imported 36,040 tonnes worth US$260 million, accounting for 24.7% of Vietnam's total pepper export volume. Exports to the United States increased 24.5% in volume and 18.2% in value from a year earlier, reaffirming the market's role as a key driver of Vietnam's pepper export growth.

While Vietnam's exports to the United States increased sharply, several competing suppliers lost market share. U.S. pepper imports from Indonesia fell 65.2%, while imports from India declined 23.4%. Imports from other supplying countries dropped 27.7%.

In addition to the United States, exports to several other markets also recorded strong growth. Shipments to Turkey rose 117.6% in volume, followed by Thailand with a 90.9% increase, the Netherlands with 50%, Egypt with 46.4%, Pakistan with 23.8% and the Philippines with 21.5%. The gains reflected Vietnam's expanding market presence beyond its traditional export destinations.

However, the Import-Export Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade said the average export price remained below the level recorded a year earlier, reflecting pressure from increasingly abundant global pepper supplies.

Against a backdrop of intensifying competition, Vietnam's pepper industry needed to continue improving product quality, expand value-added processing, comply with sustainability standards and diversify export markets to increase export value.

The Vietnam Customs Department said prospects for pepper exports to the United States remained positive in the remaining months of 2026. However, opportunities to further expand market share were expected to be limited as Vietnam already accounted for a large share of U.S. imports. As a result, future export growth was expected to depend more on maintaining stable supplies, improving quality and increasing product value rather than competing on price.

Source: VITIC