Pepper exports are growing positively, but increasingly strict requirements on pesticide residues demand that enterprises control quality directly from raw material zones.

Export markets continue to open wide

According to a report by the Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association (VPSA), in the first 7 months of 2026, Vietnam exported 168,429 tons of pepper, reaching an export turnover of 1.087 billion USD—an increase of 16.1% in volume and 10.1% in value compared to the same period in 2025. Among this, member enterprises of VPSA exported 137,640 tons, accounting for 81.7% of total export volume.

In July 2026 alone, pepper exports reached 22,743 tons, with turnover reaching 147.3 million USD. Although decreasing by 1.6% in volume and 2.6% in value compared to the previous month, export volume still increased by 8.8% compared to the same period in 2025. Whole black pepper continued to occupy the main proportion, reaching 19,623 tons, equivalent to 86.3% of total export volume.

Speaking with a reporter from Industry and Trade Newspaper, Mr. Le Viet Anh, Secretary-General of VPSA, stated that the global pepper market since the beginning of the year continues to be supported by low supply levels, while demand in many large markets shows signs of recovery. Global pepper inventory currently stands at around 170,000 tons, with Vietnam holding approximately 50,000–60,000 tons.

Vietnam's pepper harvest in 2026 is estimated at around 170,000 tons, down 12.8% compared to the previous year. Limited supply is one of the factors helping pepper prices maintain high levels in the first half of the year and establishing a favorable foundation for exports in the final months, even as enterprises continue to face impacts from logistics costs and geopolitical instabilities.

The United States continues to serve as an important market for Vietnamese pepper. Compared to the same period last year, pepper export value in the first 6 months of 2026 to the US market increased by 18.2%. This result demonstrates the supply capacity and standing of Vietnamese pepper in one of the world's largest consumption markets.

However, beside market demand opportunities, exporting enterprises must satisfy an increasing number of requirements regarding quality, food safety, and pesticide residue controls. A positive signal is that the number of European Union (EU) notifications regarding Vietnamese pepper and spices has decreased significantly. In the first 6 months of 2026, notifications for this commodity group decreased from 34 cases in the same period of 2025 down to 22 cases; pepper specifically decreased from 5 down to 3 cases.

At the 6-Month Review Conference and Deployment of Tasks for the Final 6 Months of 2026, Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Vi, Head of Advisory Services at Eurofins Sac Ky Hai Dang, evaluated this as a positive signal for Vietnam's spice industry. If previously spices frequently ranked among the top 5 commodity groups with the highest notifications in the EU market, the first 6 months of this year saw them drop to around 10th place.

This result demonstrates that quality control, food safety management, and standard compliance awareness among enterprises have seen transformation. However, pesticide residues remain a problem needing special attention, as they account for approximately 50% of EU notifications for the spice group.

Control from raw material zones to satisfy new standards

Testing results reveal that several pesticide active substances still appear with high frequency in exported spice products. Notably, among the top 10 active substances appearing most frequently in testing statistics, up to 6 active substances have been banned by the EU. For pepper, this situation demands that enterprises review the list of pesticides currently used in raw material zones while strengthening production process controls rather than concentrating solely on testing at the final stage.

Based on testing evaluations of black pepper, white pepper, and ground pepper samples, several active substances were detected with high frequency, bringing risks that samples will fail importing market requirements. This issue needs control right from production zones to limit warning risks, returned shipments, and impacts on industry prestige.

For cinnamon and star anise, detected pesticide residue levels are generally lower than in pepper. However, several detected active substances still belong to groups banned by the EU. Notably, Anthraquinone has a relatively high sample violation rate in both cinnamon and star anise.

Far from requiring control over individual active substances alone, enterprises must also prepare for a new trend in EU food safety management: Cumulative Risk Assessment (CRA).

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Vi, evaluations previously relied primarily on individual active substances and compared them against Maximum Residue Limits (MRL). However, the EU is shifting toward examining consumers' total exposure level across multiple active substances sharing the same mechanism of action on a body organ or function.

This research program has been deployed by the EU since 2021 and is expected to be completed by 2030. By June 2026, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published research results relating to pesticide residue impacts on reproductive capacity and finalized the scientific basis regarding kidney toxicity.

According to the latest report, EFSA identified 46 priority active substances alongside metabolites for CRA research. These represent active substances that spice enterprises need to monitor closely, as many among them are also frequently detected in Vietnam's exported spice samples.

Currently, the EU still applies MRL regulations under Regulation (EC) No 396/2005. However, according to Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Vi, after the research program completes, the EU may adjust MRLs for certain priority active substances, particularly those frequently appearing in spice products.

This requires enterprises not to wait until new regulations take effect before adjusting production. Instead, they should proactively monitor policies, review pesticide lists, control raw material zones, and boost testing to reduce risks of active substances that are likely to be tightened in the future.

Against a backdrop where requirements regarding food safety, origin traceability, sustainable development, and supply chain transparency are increasingly elevated, controlling residues right from raw material zones will become a vital factor for the competitive capacity of Vietnamese pepper.

According to industry experts, export results in the first 7 months show that Vietnamese pepper maintains growth momentum and standing across major markets. However, to turn market advantages into sustainable growth, the sector needs to continue shifting its focus from export-stage checks to managing quality throughout the entire production chain—thereby proactively adapting to increasingly high international market standards.

Rising export momentum is opening additional headroom for Vietnamese pepper, but controlling pesticide residues from raw material zones will decide long-term market retention capabilities.

Source: Bao Cong Thuong