Nutmeg, mace and cardamoms market in Laos

Earlier Report Observations

Laos witnessed a steady increase in nutmeg, mace and cardamoms production from 7 244 tons in 2018 to 9 320 tons in 2023. Market volume, however, experienced significant fluctuations, rising from 7 232 tons to 8 572 tons over 2018-2020, then contracting by 27% to 6 223 tons in 2021 as exports jumped to 4 887 tons. A strong recovery followed, with market volume reaching 7 200 tons in 2022 and 8 983 tons in 2023.

The market rebound from 2021 was underpinned by broader economic reforms and market-oriented policies that attracted foreign investment into agriculture. Concurrently, the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry's 'Lao brand' initiative aimed to enhance product quality and branding, boosting the competitiveness of spices both domestically and abroad. By 2024, preferential trade agreements and government efforts to promote tourism further supported the export environment, although currency depreciation and inflation posed challenges to production costs and consumer demand.

Production nutmeg, mace and cardamoms in Laos

In kind, 2017-2020, t

Between 2017 and 2020, Laos ranked as the world's fifth-largest producer of nutmeg, mace, and cardamoms.

Top producers of nutmeg, mace and cardamoms, 2017-2020

World map of production of nutmeg, mace and cardamoms, 2017-2020

Laos saw its production of nutmeg, mace, and cardamoms grow for the third year in a row. In 2020, the country produced 8 060 tonnes, marking a 5.2% increase compared to the previous year. From 2017 to 2020, overall production rose by 17%, which translates to an average annual growth rate of 5.4%.

Annual dynamics of production in Laos in kind, 2017-2020, t

Exports nutmeg, mace and cardamoms from Laos

Exports in kind, t

The export market for these spices experienced significant volatility during this period. In 2018, exports hit their lowest point at 12.0 tonnes, followed by a sharp rebound to 98.4 tonnes in 2019—an 8.2-fold difference between the two years. The largest decline occurred in 2018, with a drop of 69.1%, while the biggest increase was in 2019, surging by 717.6%. In 2020, exports fell to 87.2 tonnes, representing an 11.3% decrease from the previous year.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Laos in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Vietnam, Asia (not elsewhere specified), and Thailand were the primary destinations for Laos's nutmeg, mace, and cardamom exports by volume. Vietnam accounted for 37.9% of these exports, Asia (not elsewhere specified) for 29.6%, and Thailand for 15.3%. Together, these three partners made up 82.8% of total export flows.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Laos in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, K $ US

Export values also showed notable fluctuations over the observed years. The lowest point was in 2018 at 180.8 thousand US dollars, with the highest in 2017, creating a 2.4-fold gap between them. The largest decline happened in 2018, down by 57.6%, while the biggest increase was in 2019, up by 74.4%. In 2020, export value stood at 273.4 thousand US dollars, a 13.3% decrease from the year before.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Laos in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

In terms of value from 2017 to 2020, Vietnam, Asia (not elsewhere specified), and Thailand remained the key markets for Laos's nutmeg, mace, and cardamom exports. Vietnam led with 46.5% of the total value, followed by Asia (not elsewhere specified) at 24.7%, and Thailand at 14.3%. Collectively, these three accounted for 85.5% of all export revenues.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Laos in value, 2017-2020

Imports nutmeg, mace and cardamoms to Laos

Imports in kind, t

In 2020, Laos imported a total of 39 930.0 tonnes of nutmeg, mace, and cardamoms, which represents a dramatic year-over-year increase of 39,930.0%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Laos in kind, 2017-2020, t

Between 2017 and 2020, Laos's imports of nutmeg, mace, and cardamoms by volume were almost entirely sourced from Vietnam, which held a 100.0% share of total import flows.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Laos in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

The value of nutmeg, mace, and cardamom imports to Laos reached 299.8 thousand US dollars in 2020, showing a sharp rise of 10,338.0% compared to the previous year.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Laos in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

From 2017 to 2020, Vietnam was the nearly exclusive supplier of nutmeg, mace, and cardamoms to Laos in value terms, accounting for 100.0% of total imports.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Laos in value, 2017-2020