Vietnam's cardamom and nutmeg exports climb 16.6% in H1 2026 as prices soften
Vietnam exported 1,963 tonnes of cardamom and nutmeg in the first half of 2026 for over $15.3 million, up 16.6% in volume but just 0.2% in value, according to the VPSA. The average price fell to $7,794 per tonne, with the Netherlands, the US and the UK the leading buyers.
Vietnam's cardamom and nutmeg exports climb in the first half of 2026
Vietnam shipped 1,963 tonnes of cardamom and nutmeg abroad in the first half of 2026, earning more than $15.3 million, according to the Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association (VPSA). Volumes rose 16.6% from the 1,684 tonnes exported in the same period of 2025, while total value increased by just 0.2%, soha.vn reported citing the association's data. The figures place a niche, high-value spice group firmly among Vietnam's fastest-growing agricultural exports by volume.
Volume up, prices under pressure
The wide gap between the volume and value growth points to softer prices. The average export price for the two spices reached $7,794 per tonne in the first half of 2026. With value nearly flat against a double-digit rise in volume, the effective per-tonne price fell by roughly 14% from the same period a year earlier, when it stood near $9,070. Nedspice Vietnam remained the country's leading exporter of the commodity.
The first-half result follows a strong full year. Over 2025, Vietnam's cardamom and nutmeg exports reached 4,247 tonnes, up 24.8% from 2024, with turnover of $32.9 million, up 19.1%. The 2026 trend so far extends the volume gains but marks a clear break in pricing momentum.
Buyers concentrated in high-value markets
Cardamom is one of the world's most valuable spices, ranked alongside saffron and vanilla in commercial terms. It is sought by more than 30 countries, and demanding markets are Vietnam's largest customers: the Netherlands, the United States and the United Kingdom lead purchases, according to soha.vn. Demand is supported by the spice's use in premium cooking, in traditional and Western medicine, and as an ingredient in perfume and cosmetics.
A slow crop with limited acreage
Cardamom belongs to the ginger family and grows in cool, high-altitude mountains. In Vietnam it is cultivated mainly in northern provinces such as Lào Cai, Hà Giang, Cao Bằng and Sơn La, and the fruit is harvested only from plants at least three years old. Nutmeg, native to Indonesia's Maluku islands, is grown mostly in Vietnam's southern provinces; the tree begins yielding after seven to eight years, is harvested twice a year in November–December and April–June, and can remain productive for 60 to 70 years, peaking around year 25.
Cultivated area in Vietnam remains small and largely informal, without concentrated zones meeting international standards. With prices far above those of traditional crops, several mountainous provinces have begun expanding planting, positioning the spice as a high-value, land-efficient export option for upland farmers.