Vietnam’s cashew imports increased by 12 percent in the first five months of 2026, driven by stronger shipments from Tanzania and Côte d’Ivoire, while supplies from Ghana and Nigeria declined sharply.
Vietnam imported nearly 1.45 million tonnes of raw cashew nuts from global markets between January and May 2026, according to agricultural advisory service N’kalo, citing customs data in its latest cashew market bulletin.
Africa remained a major supplier, with Tanzania, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria collectively accounting for nearly 339,000 tonnes, or about 23 percent of Vietnam’s total imports during the period.
Tanzania emerged as Africa’s largest supplier to Vietnam, exporting 154,153 tonnes during the first five months of the year, an increase of 16 percent compared with the same period in 2025.
Côte d’Ivoire recorded the strongest growth among African exporters, with shipments reaching 107,090 tonnes, up 93 percent year-on-year.
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The increase came as Côte d’Ivoire, the world’s largest cashew producer, continued efforts to reduce illegal exports and improve supplies for domestic processing industries.
Tanzania’s stronger performance also followed improved production. The country’s Agriculture Ministry reported that the 2025/26 cashew harvest rose 16 percent to 617,683 tonnes.
However, Ghana and Nigeria experienced significant declines.
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Ghana’s exports to Vietnam fell 51 percent to 28,129 tonnes during the period, with N’kalo attributing the decline to a weaker harvest and reduced cross-border smuggling from neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso, which limited available export volumes.
Nigeria shipped 49,507 tonnes, down 29 percent from a year earlier.
The contrasting performances highlight changing dynamics in Africa’s cashew sector, where production trends, domestic processing policies and efforts to control informal trade are reshaping export flows to major Asian processors such as Vietnam.
Vietnam is the world’s leading cashew processing hub, relying heavily on imported raw nuts from Africa and other producing regions to supply its large export-oriented ind
