Cashew exports to China surge, overtaking the US as Việt Nam’s top market

Cashew exports to China surge, overtaking the US as Việt Nam’s top market

Statistics show that Việt Nam exported 96,000 tonnes of cashews worth US$608 million to China in the first seven months of 2025, up 29 per cent in volume and 47 per cent in value from a year earlier.

Cashews being processed for export. Việt Nam exported 96,000 tonnes of cashews worth US$608 million to China in the first seven months of 2025, up 29 per cent in volume and 47 per cent in value. — VNA/VNS Photo Hồng Nhung

China has overtaken the US to become Việt Nam's largest cashew export market, driven by the neighbouring country's recovering demand, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Statistics show that Việt Nam exported 96,000 tonnes of cashews worth US$608 million to China in the first seven months of 2025, up 29 per cent in volume and 47 per cent in value from a year earlier.

The surge helped lift Việt Nam’s cashew export revenue to $2.8 billion in the seven-month period, representing a year-on-year increase of more than 18 per cent despite a decrease of 2.6 per cent in export volume to 413,000 tonnes.

Meanwhile, cashew exports to the US fell nearly 28 per cent in volume to 83,000 tonnes and dropped 12 per cent in value to $561 million, as higher tariffs weighed on demand, according to the ministry’s Import–Export Department.

Cashew exports to China, however, were driven by an economic rebound, a stronger appetite for healthy snacks and better adaptation by Vietnamese exporters and manufacturers to China’s requirements.

Vice President of the Vietnam Cashew Association (VINACAS) Bách Khánh Nhựt said exports to China have surged in recent months as traders increase purchases ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival. He added that China will remain the key market for Vietnamese cashews in the remaining months of this year, with projected increases in demand.

For more than a decade, the US has been Việt Nam’s top cashew buyer, often accounting for over 20 per cent of shipments. The 20 per cent retaliatory tariff is weighing heavily on exports, especially as Vietnamese cashew prices are already higher than last year.  

At the same time, the US market is showing stronger demand for processed cashew products, with imports reaching nearly 28,000 tonnes worth $214 million in the first half of this year, up 33 per cent in volume and 53 per cent in value, according to VINACAS.

Vietnamese cashews are now present in more than 90 countries and territories.

More than 300,000ha of cashew growing areas are spread across more than 20 provinces and cities in Việt Nam. Bình Phước Province is home to a majority of these areas, with 150,000ha. 

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