Vietnam currently serves as the world's leading nation in pepper exports. However, under pressure from increasingly stringent technical standards in import markets, this commodity sector needs to alter its strategy: shifting from volume growth to prioritizing quality and sustainability. To safeguard its position, constructing transparent value chains and tightening quality control procedures are urgent requirements…

In the first 6 months of 2026, Vietnam's pepper exports reached 146,000 tons, valued at 950.2 million USD, up 18.5% in volume and 12.1% in value compared to the same period in 2025.

The United States continues to serve as the largest market, importing 36,040 tons with a value of approximately 260 million USD, occupying 24.7% of total export volume, while recording significant growth of 24.5% in output and 18.2% in value. Besides, multiple other markets such as Turkey, Thailand, the Netherlands, Egypt, Pakistan, and the Philippines also showed impressive growth, contributing to diversifying export markets for Vietnamese pepper.

Data from the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) affirms Vietnam's leading position in this market. In the first 5 months of 2026, Vietnam supplied 31,950 tons of pepper to the United States, valued at 239.73 million USD, up 36.8% and 35.8% respectively compared to the same period in 2025. Thanks to this, the market share of Vietnamese pepper in the United States increased sharply from 64.4% to nearly 80% in volume and over 80% in value, while imports from competing rivals such as Indonesia and India dropped significantly. Although export prospects to the United States remain positive,

The Customs Department evaluates that room for expansion is no longer substantial since market share has reached a very high level, requiring the sector to concentrate on ensuring stable supply, elevating quality, increasing product value, and developing new markets instead of merely competing on price.

Vietnam currently holds the world's number one position in pepper exports, occupying approximately 36.3% of global market share. Black pepper remains the core commodity item, occupying over 66.3% of total export volume, and the global black pepper market is expected to increase to nearly 6 billion USD by 2028, opening up opportunities for value-added products such as essential oils.

However, the sector is confronting major challenges from increasingly tightened technical barriers in import markets such as the EU, the United States, and South Korea. Regulations regarding pesticide residue limits, origin traceability, and sustainable development standards are becoming mandatory requirements. In 2025, the EU issued 66 notifications for pepper and spices, within which Vietnam had 6 notifications related to chemical residues or industrial dye contamination.

The trend of developing low-carbon pepper value chains and sustainable production serves as a core requirement. International customers are not only concerned with quality but also demand transparency regarding origin, production processes, and the capacity to satisfy environmental standards, social responsibility, and carbon emission reductions (ESG, Net Zero).

To satisfy this trend, the Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association (VPSA) has deployed a low-emission sustainable pepper production project. This model concentrates on four main solutions: integrated pest management (IPM) to reduce chemical pesticides, enhancing beneficial microorganisms, adjusting nutrition regimes toward organic methods, and constructing ecological farming systems with grass cover and shade trees to elevate biodiversity.

A prime example is the program by SIMEXCO Dak Lak heading toward a circular economy, reducing emissions by 15% annually alongside the target of building 10,000 regenerative farming holdings. After one year of implementation, VPSA's safe, chemical residue-free, and low-carbon emission landscape pepper production models have recorded multiple positive results.

These models not only feature more beneficial organisms and no severe pest outbreaks, but also bring clear economic efficiency with high profits; production costs dropped by up to 24% while yields were maintained. Particularly, greenhouse gas emission volumes in these models decreased from 13.5% to 21.5% thanks to reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, as well as saving irrigation energy.

VPSA affirms that pepper possesses complete capacity to reduce emissions if a suitable transition roadmap is in place. In the coming period, VPSA targets expanding regenerative agricultural models to build the image of Vietnamese pepper as a sustainable and responsible spice supply source; however, this process requires the synchronized participation of the entire value chain.

Source: VnEconomy