Viet Nam remains world’s top pepper producer

The Viet Nam Pepper Association (VPA) announced that the nation expects to ship about 230,000 tons of peppercorns overseas in 2022, gaining more than US$970 million, down 13 percent in quantity but up two percent in value from the previous year. 

The export turnover of all spices is forecast to hit US$1.5 billion, said VPA.

Commitments to open markets under FTAs, such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Viet Nam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) are expected to help further promote pepper export.

Specifically, the EU's import tax on Vietnamese ground pepper has been reduced from 4 percent to 0 percent.

In 2021, the volume of pepper export was estimated at around 260,000 tons, earning approximately US$950 million, up 44 percent in value but down 9 percent in volume year on year.

It is worth noting that export of pepper to the U.S., EU, the United Arab Emirates, and Pakistan markets increased, while that to China and ASEAN markets decreased sharply.