Export markets continue to expand
According to a report by Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association (VPSA), in the first seven months of 2026, Vietnam exported 168,429 tonnes of pepper, achieving a turnover of US$1.087 billion, an increase of 16.1% in volume and 10.1% in value compared to the same period in 2025. Of this, businesses that are members of VPSA exported 137,640 tonnes, accounting for 81.7% of total export volume.
In July 2026 alone, pepper export reached 22,743 tonnes, with a turnover of US$147.3 million. Despite a 1.6% decrease in volume and a 2.6% decrease in value compared to previous month, export still increased by 8.8% year-on-year in 2025. Whole black pepper continued to account for the majority, with 19,623 tonnes, equivalent to 86.3% of total export.
In an interview with Industry and Trade Newspaper, Mr. Le Viet Anh, General Secretary of VPSA, said that global pepper market has continued to be supported by low supply since the beginning of the year, while demand in many major markets shows signs of recovery. Global pepper inventories currently stand at around 170,000 tonnes, of which Vietnam accounts for about 50-60,000 tonnes.
Vietnam's pepper harvest in 2026 is estimated at around 170,000 tonnes, a decrease of 12.8% compared to the previous year. Limited supply is one of factors that helped maintain high pepper prices in the first half of the year and created a favorable foundation for exports in the remaining months, although businesses are still affected by logistics costs and geopolitical instability. The United States continues to be an important market for Vietnamese pepper. Compared to the same period last year, value of pepper exports to the US market in the first six months of 2026 increased by 18.2%. This result shows the supply capacity and position of Vietnamese pepper in one of the world's largest consumer markets.
However, besides opportunities from market demand, export businesses are increasingly having to meet requirements regarding quality, food safety and pesticide residue control. A positive sign is that number of warnings from European Union (EU) regarding Vietnamese pepper and spices has decreased significantly. In the first six months of 2026, number of warnings for this product group decreased from 34 cases in the same period of 2025 to 22 cases; specifically, pepper decreased from 5 to 3 cases.
At conference summarizing the first six months and outlining tasks for the last six months of 2026, Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Vi, Head of Consulting Department at Eurofins Sac Ky Hai Dang, assessed this as a positive sign for the Vietnamese spice industry. Previously, spice group was often among the top 5 product groups with the highest number of warnings in EU market, but in the first six months of this year, it has dropped to around 10th place. This result shows that quality control, food safety and compliance with standards by businesses have improved. However, pesticide residue remains a particularly important issue, accounting for approximately 50% of EU warnings for spice group.
Controlling from raw material source to meet new standards
Test results show that some pesticide residues are still present with high frequency in exported spice products. Notably, among the top 10 most frequently detected substances in the test statistics, 6 have been banned by the EU. For pepper, this situation requires businesses to review the list of pesticides currently used in the raw material areas and strengthen control over the production process instead of focusing only on testing at the final stage.
According to assessment of test results on black pepper, white pepper, and ground pepper samples, some substances were detected with high frequency, leading to the risk of samples not meeting the requirements of the importing market. This is an issue that needs to be controlled right from the production area to limit the risk of warnings, product returns, and damage to the reputation of the industry.
For cinnamon and star anise, level of pesticide residue detection is generally lower than for pepper. However, some of detected active ingredients still belong to the group already banned by the EU. Notably, anthraquinone had a relatively high rate of violations in both cinnamon and star anise samples. In addition to requiring control over each active ingredient, businesses also need to prepare for a new trend in EU food safety management: Cumulative Risk Assessment (CRA).
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Vi, previously, assessments were mainly based on individual active ingredients and compared to maximum residue limits (MRLs). However, EU is shifting to considering total level of consumer exposure to multiple active ingredients that have the same mechanism of action on a particular organ or function of the body.
This research program, implemented by the EU since 2021, is expected to be completed by 2030. By June 2026, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will have published research results related to impact of pesticide residues on reproductive capacity and finalized scientific basis for nephrotoxicity.
According to the latest report, EFSA has identified 46 priority active ingredients and their metabolites for study in cumulative risk assessment. These are active ingredients that spice businesses need to monitor particularly closely, as many of them are frequently detected in spice samples exported from Vietnam. Currently, EU still applies the MRL regulations under Regulation (EC) No. 396/2005. However, according to Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Vi, after research program is completed, EU may adjust MRL for some priority active ingredients, especially those that frequently appear in spice products. This requires businesses not to wait until new regulations take effect to adjust production. Instead, they need to proactively monitor policies, review list of pesticides, control raw material areas and strengthen testing to reduce the risk of the emergence of active ingredients that may be subject to stricter regulations in future.
In context of increasingly high demands for food safety, traceability, sustainable development and supply chain transparency, controlling residue levels right from raw material area will become a crucial factor for the competitiveness of Vietnamese pepper. According to industry experts, export results in the first seven months of the year show that Vietnamese pepper continues to maintain its growth momentum and position in major markets. However, to transform market advantages into sustainable growth, the industry needs to continue shifting its focus from control at the export stage to quality management throughout production chain. This will allow for proactive adaptation to increasingly high standards of the international market.

Source: Vitic/ congthuong.vn