According to the latest figures from the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, Vietnam’s import of fruits and nuts in the first four months of 2025 totaled $516.6 million, a 38.5% increase compared to the same period last year.
Coconut is one of the two commodities that witnessed a four-digit rise in import value.
Specifically, in April, businesses imported nearly $2.5 million worth of coconuts, marking a 529% surge compared to April 2024. The cumulative import value of coconuts in the first four months reached $7.2 million, a significant increase of 1,030% from the previous year.
On the other hand, coconut exports reached $51.2 million in Q1/2025, up 12.9% from Q1/2024.
Mr. Nguyen Van Thu, Chairman of the Board of Directors of GC Food Joint Stock Company, which specializes in aloe vera and coconut jelly products, shared that the price of dried coconut water has been continuously increasing since the beginning of 2025, even doubling at its peak compared to 2024. Currently, the price of this raw material has cooled down by 10-20% from its peak, but it still remains much higher than in previous years.
Mr. Thu recently participated in a trade fair in Indonesia and was approached by many suppliers offering dried coconut imports. According to his observations, the price of coconuts from this source is 20-30% lower than in Vietnam, with equivalent quality.
“However, GC Food has not yet imported coconuts as we only use dried coconut water, not dried coconut meat, so it would not optimize costs. Moreover, transporting coconuts over long distances can compromise their quality, hence the need for professional execution to mitigate risks,” Mr. Thu explained.
Import of dried coconuts surges as raw material prices soar
Mr. Cao Ba Dang Khoa, Vice Chairman and General Secretary of the Vietnam Coconut Association, confirmed the unusual surge in coconut imports in the initial months of the year, with the primary focus being on dried coconuts, mainly sourced from Indonesia.
This situation arose due to an unprecedented four-month long coconut crop failure in Vietnam, whereas in previous years, the shortfall usually lasted only about a month due to drought and salinity. The price of dried coconuts hit a historical high, averaging 19,000 VND per fruit, and while it has since cooled down, it remains at a lofty level.
Meanwhile, consumption demand has been robust, including raw exports to Thailand and rising demand from domestic processing plants, fueled by the addition of new factories.
Imposing Export Tax on Raw Coconut
To address this situation, the Vietnam Coconut Association is commissioning scientists to research solutions for coconut trees to adapt to climate change, such as flowering aids and new cultivation processes.
Additionally, the Association has proposed imposing an export tax on raw coconuts to support domestic processing plants. Within Southeast Asia, both the Philippines and Malaysia have banned raw coconut exports for this very reason.
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