At the end of the first quarter of 2026, Vietnam's cashew exports recorded a slight increase compared to the same period last year, showing signs of stability amidst a volatile market. According to official figures, in the first three months of the year, Vietnam exported approximately 125,000 tons of cashew nuts, earning over $860 million, a slight increase in both volume and value compared to the same period in 2015. The average export price remained around $6,800 per ton, almost unchanged from the previous year. In March alone, export activity recovered significantly compared to the previous month, with a volume of approximately 50,000 tons and a value of over 340 million USD. However, compared to the same period last year, this result is still slightly lower, reflecting the caution of import markets in the context of an unstable global economy. Vietnam has just received extremely good news from the US and Europe. Vietnam's cashew export prices remained high in the first quarter of 2026. Regarding markets, Vietnam's cashew export structure is becoming more diversified, reducing dependence on a few traditional markets. The United States continues to be the largest market. In March, exports to this market increased slightly compared to the same period last year, contributing to maintaining overall growth in the first quarter. Overall, in the first three months of the year, cashew exports to the United States increased by more than 12% in both volume and value, indicating that demand in this market remains stable. According to research organizations, the size of the cashew market in the US is projected to continue expanding in the coming years, but this will be accompanied by increasingly higher demands for quality and advanced processing. Conversely, the Chinese market – Vietnam's second-largest cashew trading partner – recorded a significant decline. Exports to this market in March fell sharply compared to the same period last year, leading to an overall decrease in the first quarter (down 16% in volume and 6% in value). This development indicates that demand in China has not recovered as significantly as expected. The Netherlands continues to hold the position of the third largest export market, reaching over $82 million, a slight decrease of 3% compared to the same period last year. In addition, many other markets also experienced positive growth such as Germany (26%), Canada (52%), Japan (22%) and Thailand (65%). Besides market factors, the Vietnamese cashew industry is also facing increasing competitive pressure from raw material producing countries, especially in Africa. In recent years, many countries have boosted investment in domestic processing to increase export value, instead of just exporting raw cashews. This trend could impact the supply of raw materials for processing businesses in Vietnam – a major cashew processing hub in the world. Although the global supply of raw cashews remains stable, access to materials may become more difficult due to policies prioritizing domestic processing in producing countries. According to industry assessments, supply in the early months of the year was not very abundant, but it will improve as the main harvest season begins. This is expected to help stabilize the market in the coming period. In 2026, the cashew industry aims to export approximately 800,000 tons of cashew kernels, with an expected export value of 5 billion USD. To achieve this goal, expanding markets, improving product quality, and securing raw material sources will be key factors.