Vietnam’s cashew exports approach $3 billion after seven months
Vietnam exported 412,000 tonnes of cashews worth $2.9 billion in the first seven months of 2026. Export value rose 3.3% despite a 0.1% decline in volume, while Vietnam expanded its share of the US market.
Export revenue rises as volume remains flat
Vietnam’s cashew exports reached 412,000 tonnes with a value of $2.9 billion in the first seven months of 2026, bringing the industry close to the $3 billion threshold. According to VOH, citing the Vietnam Cashew Association, export volume declined by a marginal 0.1% from the same period of 2025, while revenue increased by 3.3%.
The divergence between volume and value indicates that Vietnam generated more export revenue from broadly unchanged shipments. The source did not provide an average export price, but the faster growth in value than in volume suggests an improved unit return for exporters during the period.
July reinforced that trend. Vietnam shipped nearly 71,000 tonnes of cashews worth $505 million during the month. Compared with July 2025, volume increased by 3.7% and value rose by 9.7%. Stronger shipments to China, the United States, the United Arab Emirates and Canada helped offset declines in several other destinations.
Market mix shifts toward China and the United States
Over the full seven-month period, China, the United States, Germany and Canada increased their shares of Vietnam’s cashew exports. The shares held by the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia declined. This shift matters for Vietnamese processors and traders because the industry remains dependent on demand across a relatively concentrated group of major consumer and distribution markets.
Vietnam retained its position as the world’s largest cashew exporter and strengthened its already dominant role in the United States. Data from the US International Trade Commission cited by VOH show that the United States imported 56,000 tonnes of cashews worth $378 million in the first five months of 2026. These totals were 14.8% higher by volume and 14.4% higher by value than a year earlier.
Vietnam supplied 50,000 tonnes of those US imports, valued at $338 million. Its shipments increased by 19.2% in volume and 19.1% in value. Vietnam’s share of the US cashew market consequently rose from 85.8% to 89.1%, leaving competing suppliers with less than 11% of the market during the period.
UK premium segment offers further potential
Vietnam also remained the main supplier to the United Kingdom, a market that accounts for about 6% of global cashew demand. In the first five months of 2026, the UK imported more than 10,000 tonnes worth $75 million, according to the commission data cited by VOH. Import volume grew by 9.4%, while value increased by 17.7% from the same period of 2025.
The wider gap between growth in UK import value and volume points to stronger returns per unit or a shift toward higher-value products. VOH reported that online sales of premium and specialized cashew products are increasing in the UK. For Vietnamese companies, that channel offers an opportunity to move beyond bulk supply and capture more value through differentiated products, provided processors can meet the market’s quality, packaging and product-positioning requirements.
