As the final quarter of 2025 begins, Vietnam’s cashew industry continues to demonstrate strong export performance despite facing a complex global trade environment. Demand for high-grade kernels remains solid, while challenges from logistics, raw material costs, and market competition persist.
📊 Export Performance and Value Growth
According to the Vietnam Cashew Association (VINACAS), Vietnam exported approximately 346,800 MT of cashew kernels in the first nine months of 2025, generating nearly USD 2.36 billion in export value.
Although export volume decreased 2.7% YoY, the value surged 20.4%, reflecting the higher global prices for premium grades such as WW240 and WW320.
By October, the average FOB Ho Chi Minh price for WW320 ranged from USD 7.10 – 7.30 per kg, while WW240 hovered around USD 7.50 – 7.70 per kg. Prices for top grades like WW180 even exceeded USD 8.50 per kg, fueled by rising demand in Europe and the Middle East.
Industry experts note that Vietnam is on track to reach USD 4.5 billion in export revenue by year-end 2025 — a milestone that would reaffirm its global leadership in the cashew sector.
🌍 Market Distribution and Buyer Shifts
Vietnam continues to supply over 63 countries, but key shifts are emerging:
- China has overtaken the U.S. as Vietnam’s largest single import market for cashews in 2025, accounting for more than 30% of export volume.
- Exports to the U.S. and EU have stabilized in value but decreased in tonnage due to inflationary pressure and slower consumer demand.
- The Middle East and East Asia (Japan, South Korea) are expanding their purchases of roasted and flavored cashew products, creating new opportunities for value-added lines.
Private-label and OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturing) contracts are also growing, particularly in the retail snack segment, as buyers seek consistent supply and traceable quality from certified Vietnamese producers such as SVC Cashew.
⚙️ Supply Chain and Raw Material Dynamics
The Raw Cashew Nut (RCN) supply situation remains tight entering Q4.
African origins such as Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and Tanzania reported below-average harvests due to erratic weather, leading to higher RCN CIF prices.
Vietnamese processors — who rely on both domestic and imported RCN — are therefore facing increased input costs, with CIF Vietnam prices averaging USD 1,500 – 1,650 per MT.
This has pushed kernel producers to optimize production yield, improve sorting technology, and maintain strict quality control under standards like BRC, HACCP, FSPCA, Halal, and Kosher — all of which are fully implemented at SVC International JSC.
🚢 Logistics and Freight Cost Impact
Freight rates have stabilized compared with the 2022–2023 spike but remain roughly twice pre-pandemic levels.
- Asia → Europe: average USD 2,400–2,800 per 40 ft container.
- Asia → U.S. West Coast: around USD 2,900–3,200.
- Inland logistics costs from Bình Phước/Dong Nai to Cát Lái Port have risen 10–12% YoY due to fuel and toll charges.
Exporters are mitigating these costs by long-term freight contracts, optimizing container loading (vacuum cartons, PET jars, zip pouches), and using Cái Mép Port to reduce congestion.
🌱 Trends in Value-Added and Sustainable Cashews
Buyers worldwide are shifting toward roasted, flavored, and healthy snack cashews.
Vietnamese factories like SVC Cashew have invested in advanced roasting lines and X-Ray quality control systems, offering a full range of salted, skin-on, and flavored cashews.
Sustainability has also become a key market driver:
- EU buyers increasingly require traceability reports and carbon-footprint declarations.
- Green logistics initiatives — including packaging with recyclable materials and reduced emissions — are now influencing supplier selection. These trends position Vietnam, and particularly SVC International JSC, to strengthen their global presence by combining certified quality with responsible manufacturing.
💡 Short-Term Outlook: Q4 2025
As of October, the overall market sentiment is cautiously optimistic:
- Demand: expected to rise modestly before the holiday season in the U.S. and EU.
- Supply: remains constrained, especially for WW240 and WW320 grades.
- Prices: forecast to stay firm or increase 3–5% toward December if RCN costs remain elevated.
- OEM & Private Label: expected to be the most resilient segment, supported by consistent demand from global retailers.
Industry analysts suggest that Vietnam’s cashew sector is entering a phase of stable value growth — not driven by volume, but by premium positioning, product diversification, and logistics efficiency.
🏭 SVC’s Perspective
Operating out of Đồng Nai Province, SVC Cashew Factory exports to over 63 countries each month.
The company has diversified from traditional kernels into flavored cashews, Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL), and agri commodities such as rice and black pepper.
By leveraging its international certifications and OEM capabilities, SVC continues to expand its role as a trusted partner in the global cashew supply chain.
📧 Contact for OEM & Export Coordination: thanh@svc.vn | thanh@svcfoods.vn
📱 WhatsApp: (+84) 909 432 477
📚 Sources: VINACAS – Export Report Q3 2025; Vietnam Customs; Tridge Market Update; Drewry Logistics Index; SVC Internal Trade Data.