The United States has surpassed China to become Vietnam’s largest coconut importer. Illustrative photo by VGP
Vietnam earned more than USD 306 million from coconut exports in the first seven months of 2025, a 40 per cent year-on-year increase. The US accounted for about USD 82 million, doubling last year’s figure and overtaking China as the top buyer. In July alone, US imports of Vietnamese coconuts exceeded USD 14 million, 2.3 times higher than a year earlier, driven by strong demand from retail chains and the beverage industry.
Meanwhile, China imported nearly USD 67 million in the seven months, up slightly but with its market share slipping to 22 per cent.
Other markets also saw sharp growth: Australia increased by 77 per cent, Puerto Rico nearly eightfold, and both the UAE and Spain more than doubled. Cambodia experienced a 690-fold increase, although exports to Thailand and South Korea declined sharply.
Domestic prices reached record highs in the first half, at VND 18,500-19,000 per coconut, with top-grade retail fruit selling for VND 25,000, six times higher than it was four years ago. Rising prices boosted farmer profits and expanded national cultivation to more than 200,000 hectares, producing around 2 million tonnes a year.
Vietnam now ranks fourth in the Asia-Pacific region and fifth worldwide in coconut exports, with an annual output of 2.28 million tonnes. Global supply remains concentrated in a handful of countries, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has set a 2030 target of 210,000 hectares of coconut plantations nationwide, of which 30 per cent will follow GAP standards and 30 per cent will be certified with planting codes, aiming to boost quality and consolidate Vietnam’s position in global markets.
