Vietnam earned approximately USD 950.2 million from pepper exports during the first half of 2026, with the United States purchasing more than 36,000 tonnes as demand also strengthened in markets including Turkey and Thailand.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Vietnam harvested 267,300 tonnes of pepper during the first six months of the year, an increase of 5 per cent compared with the same period in 2025.
Data from the Customs Department showed that pepper exports reached 24,100 tonnes in June, worth an estimated USD 160.6 million, up 3.6 per cent in volume and 2.1 per cent in value from a year earlier.
In total, Vietnam exported 146,000 tonnes of pepper during the first half of 2026, generating USD 950.2 million, representing year-on-year increases of 18.5 per cent in export volume and 12.1 per cent in export value. The average export price stood at USD 6,508 per tonne.
The United States remained Vietnam's largest export market, importing 36,040 tonnes of pepper worth USD 260 million, accounting for 24.7 per cent of the country's total pepper export volume.
Shipments to the US rose by 24.5 per cent in volume and 18.2 per cent in value compared with the first half of 2025, reinforcing the market's role as the main driver of Vietnam's pepper export growth.
Figures from the US International Trade Commission showed that the United States imported 40,020 tonnes of pepper worth USD 298.6 million during the first five months of 2026, up 10.4 per cent in volume and 11.5 per cent in value year on year.
Vietnam remained the largest supplier to the US market, exporting 31,950 tonnes valued at USD 239.73 million during the five-month period. That represented increases of 36.8 per cent in volume and 35.8 per cent in value compared with the previous year.
As a result, Vietnam's share of total US pepper imports rose from 64.4 per cent to 79.82 per cent by volume, while its share by value increased from 65.95 per cent to 80.3 per cent.
Most of Vietnam's competitors recorded sharp declines in exports to the United States. Imports from Indonesia fell by 65.2 per cent, while shipments from India declined by 23.4 per cent. Imports from all other supplying countries combined dropped by 27.7 per cent.
Elsewhere, several export destinations posted strong growth during the first half of the year. Pepper exports to Turkey increased by 117.6 per cent, followed by Thailand with 90.9 per cent, the Netherlands with 50 per cent, Egypt with 46.4 per cent, Pakistan with 23.8 per cent and the Philippines with 21.5 per cent.
According to the Import-Export Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the results indicate that Vietnamese exporters are gradually expanding their presence beyond traditional markets, helping diversify the country's export destinations.
However, the department noted that the average export price remained below the level recorded a year earlier, reflecting mounting pressure from increasingly abundant global supplies.
As international competition intensifies, the department said improving product quality, expanding value-added processing, complying with sustainability standards and further diversifying export markets would be crucial to maintaining growth and increasing export earnings.
Looking ahead, the department expects Vietnam's pepper exports to the United States to remain positive during the second half of 2026. However, opportunities to further expand market share are becoming more limited because Vietnam already dominates US imports. Future growth is therefore expected to depend more on maintaining reliable supply, improving quality and increasing product value rather than competing primarily on price.