According to data from the General Department of Customs (Ministry of Finance), Vietnam exported 186,503 tons of various types of pepper by the end of September 2025, generating nearly $1.27 billion in export revenue.

Although export volume fell 7.1% year-on-year, export value surged 27.8%.

The rise in export value is mainly attributed to a sharp increase in average pepper export prices, which climbed 37.6% to reach $6,787 per ton.

Thanks to this spike, the value of pepper exports over the past nine months has already nearly matched the total for all of 2024 ($1.3 billion) - despite three months remaining in the year.

Notably, exports to key markets declined in volume but rose significantly in value.

For example, exports to the United States in the first nine months of 2025 reached 41,800 tons, earning $312.3 million - down 28.2% in volume but up 4.3% in value.

Exports to the Netherlands hit $52.53 million, South Korea reached $99.5 million, and India brought in $71 million - representing increases of 17.7%, 43.4%, and 64.3%, respectively, compared to the same period last year.

These three markets alone accounted for 34.8% of the industry’s total export turnover over the past nine months.

Experts believe that the temporary decline in exports to the US is due to market adjustments following the introduction of a new tax policy.

Vietnam continues to benefit from a lower tariff rate compared to competitors such as Brazil and India, as well as its stable supply capacity - factors that are expected to support a recovery in US-bound exports in the near future.

The Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association (VPSA) noted that the 20% retaliatory tariff imposed by the US on goods from Vietnam does not pose a significant threat to the country’s pepper exporters.

As of October 10, pepper prices at ports in Ho Chi Minh City remained stable compared to late September 2025.

Specifically, black pepper (500 g/l) was priced at $6,600 per ton, black pepper (550 g/l) at $6,800 per ton, and white pepper at $9,250 per ton.

On the import side, VPSA reported that Vietnam spent $225.7 million to import 36,112 tons of pepper by the end of September 2025.

This included 30,728 tons of black pepper and 5,384 tons of white pepper.

Compared to the same period in 2024, import volume increased 51.9%, while import value soared 121.1%.

These figures reflect rising domestic demand for reprocessing, blending, and deep-processing activities.

Tam An