By region, Asia continued to hold the largest share, with 102,032 tonnes, accounting for 47.3% of total export volume and up 15.6% year-on-year. Purchases by China surged 62.2% to 24,904 tonnes, accounting for 11.5% and making it the second-largest market for Vietnamese pepper. Exports to Thailand grew 60.9% to 8,662 tonnes. By contrast, exports to the UAE reached 14,779 tonnes, down 0.5%, while shipments to India fell 23.1% to 8,415 tonnes.
Growth in Asia was therefore driven primarily by China and Thailand, while India contracted sharply.
Exports to the Americas totalled 56,628 tonnes, accounting for 26.2% of the total and up 28.1% year-on-year, cementing its poition as the fastest-growing region. The US remained the largest export market, with 50,621 tonnes, up 26.6% and accounting for 23.5% of total export volume. Exports to Canada jumped 57.3% to 3,523 tonnes. Together, the US and China imported 75,525 tonnes, accounting for 35% of total export volume; growth in these two markets contributed roughly 70.3% to the overall export gain year-on-year.
Exports to Europe reached 44,961 tonnes, accounting for 20.8% of the total and rising 5.3%, but performance varied widely across individual destinations. The Netherlands imported 7,793 tonnes, up 33.5%, while shipments to Türkiye rose 45.2% to 5,609 tonnes. Meanwhile, exports to Germany fell 19% to 7,807 tonnes, and deliveries to Russia declined 10.9% to 4,459 tonnes.
Although cumulative exports to Europe expanded overall, monthly volume to the region dropped steadily from 6,023 tonnes in May to 4,069 tonnes in September, signalling a clear deceleration in recent months.
Shipments to Africa totalled 12,112 tonnes, accounting for 5.6% of the total and inching up 2.4% year-on-year. Of this amount, Egypt imported 5,816 tonnes, up 12.9%, representing nearly half of Viet Nam’s pepper exports to the region.
According to the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the outlook for Viet Nam’s pepper exports to the US in the final months of 2026 remains positive. With its market share exceeding 80%, Viet Nam is poised to retain its position as the largest pepper supplier to the US market.
In addition, Brazil’s continued export growth shows that competition in the US market remains intense. Vietnamese exporters must therefore consistently satisfy strict standards regarding quality, food safety, and traceability, while developing value-added goods to sharpen their competitive edge and defend their market leadership.
Meanwhile, Le Viet Anh, Secretary General of the Viet Nam Pepper and Spice Association, said Viet Nam’s pepper exports posted solid gains in the first nine months of 2026, but the growth was driven predominantly by in the US and China. Expansion in Thailand, the Netherlands, and Türkiye added further momentum, while exports to Germany and India declined.
The recovery in export volume in September is an encouraging sign, but the third-quarter result was lower than that of the second quarter, and the recent downward trend in Europe warrants close monitoring to allow flexible, proactive adjustments to production and export strategies.
