The United States has overtaken China as Vietnam's largest coconut export market, purchasing US$82 million worth of coconuts in the first seven months of 2025. This marked a 100% increase year-on-year and accounted for 27% of Vietnam's US$306 million total coconut exports, which rose 40% according to official data.
Exporters attributed the growth to strong demand from retail chains and the beverage industry, driven by the rising popularity of fresh Vietnamese coconuts. China, long the top buyer, increased purchases only marginally to US$67 million.
Other markets also showed growth. Exports to Australia rose by 77%, while shipments to the United Arab Emirates and Spain doubled. Exports to Puerto Rico grew nearly eightfold. Nguyen Dinh Tung, CEO of exporter Vina T&T, said his company ships 80–90 containers of various fruits each month to the U.S., with coconuts making up a large share. He noted that its fruit exports to the U.S. increased by 25% year-on-year and were mostly unaffected by new tariffs.
According to Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruits & Vegetables Association, demand for coconuts in the U.S., China, and Middle Eastern markets is rising while global supply remains limited. He said this makes Vietnamese coconuts increasingly in demand. Since the U.S. opened its market to fresh coconuts from Vietnam in 2023, exporters have expanded distribution chains, diversified products, and improved packaging.
At the same time, Vietnam has been importing coconuts for processing, with import volumes exceeding US$31 million this year, a 20-fold increase. Domestically, coconut prices averaged US$0.72 per nut in the first half of 2025, the highest on record. Retail prices for top-grade coconuts reached US$0.95 per nut, six times higher than four years ago.
Coconut plantations in Vietnam now cover about 200,000 hectares, producing around two million tons annually. Processing capacity has expanded, with the number of factories increasing from eight in 2015 to 45 in 2024, as more companies entered the sector.
Source: VNExpress