Imports of coconut and areca nuts increased by over 300%

The latest data from the Customs shows that, in the fruit and nut group, Vietnam’s import turnover in the 10 months of 2025 reached more than 1.36 billion USD, an increase of 26.5% over the same period last year. Notably, coconut imports reached more than 67 million USD, an increase of 342% over the same period last year, bringing the market share from 0.81% to 3.11%. Similarly, areca nut reached nearly 56 million USD, an increase of 312.6%, increasing its market share from 0.72% to 2.59%. These are also the two items with the highest growth rate among the 19 types of fruits listed, in contrast to the decreasing or slow increasing trend of many other items in the same group.

Explaining the reason for the sharp increase in coconut imports, Mr. Cao Ba Dang Khoa, General Secretary of the Vietnam Coconut Association, said that early this year the price of domestic coconut raw materials increased suddenly, at one point nearly doubling, because many countries in the region simultaneously stepped up purchasing. This development makes it difficult for businesses to proactively source stable raw materials; If you continue to buy domestically at high prices, the risk of loss increases.

In that context, many businesses are forced to increase imports, mainly from Indonesia and some southern provinces of Thailand, to supplement supply and cool down raw material prices. According to Mr. Khoa, the sharp price increase in March-April did not only occur in Vietnam but spread throughout Asia and is cyclical. Currently, the market has gradually stabilized and businesses still prioritize using domestic coconuts.

From a market perspective, Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said there is a shortage of dried coconut for processing, while the export turnover of processed coconut is twice as high as that of fresh coconut, forcing businesses to increase imports to maintain production. Recently, coconut prices cooled down when consumer demand decreased in winter, but demand for old coconuts and dried coconuts often increased again at the end of the year and during Tet holidays.

Regarding areca nuts, Mr. Nguyen said that imports increased even though Vietnam has a large output, due to increased demand from China. Most arecanuts are temporarily imported from Myanmar and Indonesia, then re-exported to this market.

According to the Vietnam Coconut Association, the average purchase price at the garden in the first half of this year is 180,000-190,000 VND per dozen (12 fruits). After transportation and classification, the retail price of grade 1 coconuts sometimes reached about 25,000 VND per fruit, many times higher than a few years ago. By the end of the year, coconut prices cooled down, commonly 5,000-7,000 VND per fruit when export demand decreased.