According to information from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, cashew exports in July 2026 are estimated at 72.3 thousand tons with a value of 516 million USD, bringing the total volume and value of cashew exports in the first seven months of 2026 to 413.7 thousand tons and 2.91 billion USD, an increase of 0.3% in volume and 3.7% in value compared to the same period in 2025. The average export price of cashew nuts in the first seven months of 2026 is estimated at US$7,035 per ton, an increase of 3.4% compared to the same period in 2025. China, the United States, and the Netherlands are the three largest cashew nut markets for Vietnam, accounting for market shares of 24.4%, 21.5%, and 8%, respectively. Compared to the same period last year, the value of cashew exports from the beginning of 2026 to date to the Chinese market increased by 11.5%, to the US market by 8.3%, while to the Netherlands market decreased by 10.2%. Notably, among the top 15 export markets, the strongest increase in cashew export value was in the Canadian market with a 59% increase, and the sharpest decrease was in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) market with a 66.2% decrease. Why is Vietnam the world's number one producer and processor of cashew nuts? Salted roasted cashew nuts. - Source: IT The miraculous development In the late 1980s and 1990s, no one thought that Vietnam's cashew industry could rise from "almost zero" and develop so "miraculously." From 1986 to the present, labor productivity in the processing stage of Vietnam's cashew industry has increased more than tenfold, from rudimentary processing to the use of machinery. What's even more impressive is not just the continuously increasing export figures, but also the technology and machinery used in production and processing, which are domestically manufactured in Vietnam. This is the main reason why Vietnam, from a country that only exported raw cashews, has become the world's largest exporter of processed cashew kernels since 2006. Since then, Vietnam's cashew production and processing industry has grown continuously, not only exporting cashew kernels but also bringing deeply processed products to consumers. This has also helped increase the value and economic efficiency of Vietnam's cashew products, creating jobs for workers. Currently, cashew cultivation is mainly concentrated in the Southeast region of Vietnam, with Binh Phuoc province (now Dong Nai City) as its "capital." Therefore, despite having one of the highest yields in the world, domestic cashew raw materials are insufficient to meet processing and export demands. Thus, importing raw materials for processing and further processing of cashews is inevitable. For example, Germany, a country that doesn't grow coffee, is currently one of the world's largest coffee roasters and processors. Processing, especially deep processing and branding of each agricultural product, is the most valuable and economically efficient stage. Here are some example figures: In 2022, cashew exports reached US$3.07 billion; in 2023, exports reached US$3.6 billion; in 2024, exports reached US$4.34 billion; and in 2025, export turnover is projected to reach US$5.22 billion. Currently, Vietnamese cashew products are exported to 112 countries and territories. By 2025, Vietnam will have ranked number one in cashew processing and export to the world for 19 consecutive years since 2006. With this result, cashew nuts have risen to become Vietnam's third largest agricultural export item in 2025, behind only coffee (US$8.6 billion) and fruits and vegetables (US$8.6 billion). In the context of a sharp decline in rice exports, the breakthrough of cashew nuts further demonstrates the increasingly important role of this commodity in the structure of agricultural exports. Why is Vietnam the world's number one producer and processor of cashew nuts? Processed and canned cashews - Source: IT. According to businessman Mai Huu Tin, the current productivity of Vietnam's cashew industry is about 1.3-1.4 tons/ha, while the world average productivity is only about 0.6 tons/ha. The majority of the world's cashew raw materials, from Africa, Indonesia, and Cambodia, are channeled to Vietnam. Vietnam has become the world's largest cashew kernel processing country, accounting for approximately 80% of the export market share. The increased processing of many cashew products further enhances the value of Vietnamese cashews. Besides consuming all domestic raw cashew production to meet export demands for cashew kernels, Vietnam also imports cashews from Africa and Cambodia for further processing, generating billions of USD in revenue annually. Currently, businesses have perfected the technology and equipment for manufacturing automatic cashew shelling machines and cashew kernel peeling machines for export cashew processing lines, continuing to create miracles in the cashew industry and contributing to the complete shift from manual production to mechanized and partially automated production. The Vietnamese cashew industry has become a "bright spot" capable of exporting cashew processing technology and machinery to the world.