Vietnam’s betel nut imports jump by 324% despite strong exports to China

Despite exporting a significant volume of betel nuts to the Chinese market, Vietnam’s imports of this commodity have also surged, with values increasing by 324% in the first eight months of the year. Vietnam has several regions specializing in the cultivation and processing of betel nuts for export to China. At times, the price of betel nuts ranged from just 3,000-7,000 VND per kilogram, but when demand from China spikes, prices can skyrocket to 60,000-90,000 VND per kilogram. Alongside exports, Vietnam also imports a large quantity of betel nuts. According to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, in the first eight months of 2024, traders and businesses spent nearly $9 million (approximately 225 billion VND) on importing betel nuts. This marks a 324% increase compared to the same period last year. With these figures, betel nuts rank 15th, accounting for 0.78% of the total value of imported fruits and nuts in Vietnam during the first eight months of this year, an increase ...