In early 2025, the United States imposed a 46% import tariff on certain Vietnamese cashew exporters, creating immediate pressure on pricing structures and buyer behavior. This unexpected policy shift has triggered strategic adjustments across Vietnam’s cashew industry.
💥 Key Impacts on Pricing
- Higher Final Costs for U.S. Buyers With the added tariff, the effective landed cost of cashew kernels imported from Vietnam has risen sharply. This has made some contracts non-viable and pushed importers to renegotiate or delay purchases.
- Shift to Value-Added Products Exporters are redirecting focus toward roasted and flavored cashew products, which are not subject to the same tariff bracket. This allows suppliers to maintain margin while delivering retail-ready goods.
- Certification Becomes Critical Only select factories with full BRC, HACCP, and traceability systems are able to maintain U.S. business. Buyers now prioritize compliance over price to avoid legal and logistical risks.
- Diversified Market Response To offset volume loss to the U.S., Vietnamese suppliers are actively increasing shipments to the EU, Middle East, and Asia, where tariffs are stable and demand is rising.
📉 Price Volatility & Margin Pressure
Export offers to the U.S. now reflect:
- Additional buffer for tariff-related cost risks
- Stricter terms (shorter validity, advance payment)
- A small but growing price gap between U.S.-destined and non-U.S. shipments
This is pushing some buyers to shift sourcing to alternative markets like India or Africa—although these suppliers often lack Vietnam’s processing quality and consistency.
🏢 SVC’s Approach
SVC has responded by:
- Pausing select bulk contracts to U.S. buyers pending clearer tax treatment
- Developing new SKUs for roasted and flavored cashews under HS codes not affected by the tariff
- Reinforcing documentation & origin traceability across its product line
SVC continues to supply fully certified shipments and is advising U.S. partners on compliance-based product planning for the remainder of 2025.
🔎 Outlook
While the U.S. tariff creates short-term disruption, it also pushes Vietnam’s cashew industry toward deeper value-added processing and product innovation. Exporters who invest in compliance, flexibility, and certification will be best positioned to navigate this evolving regulatory landscape.
SVC INTERNATIONAL JSC
Email: thanh@svc.vn
Phone: 0909432477
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