Cashews: potential problems with RCN procurement
November 26, 2025 at 4:40 PM ,
Der AUDITOR
Will RCN become scarce?
On 21 November 2025, the Vietnam Cashew Association (Vinacas) celebrated its 35th anniversary. During the celebrations, Chairman Pham Van Cong highlighted the positive development of the Vietnamese cashew industry over the past decades, during which the country has become the world's leading exporter of cashew kernels, with a market share of a whopping 80%. At the same time, Vietnam is the largest importer of raw cashew nuts. However, the industry is also facing major challenges at this point. Its own crop covers only a fraction of consumption because cashew plantations have so far only been cultivated in areas where no other crops are grown. The majority of imports come from African producing countries, primarily Côte d'Ivoire, the world's largest RCN producer. However, as the countries of origin are increasingly interested in processing their raw materials domestically in order to increase their value, they are restricting exports in some cases, which could become a problem for Vietnamese processors in the future.
Germany significantly increases cashew imports
EU cashew imports rose by a moderate 2.2% from 1 January to 16 November 2025 compared with the same period last year. A total of 165,633 mt of shelled cashews were imported, with Vietnam by far the largest supplier at 117,860 mt. Côte d'Ivoire, in second place, increased its exports to EU countries by an impressive 32.9% to 27,355 mt, followed at some distance by India in third place, which suffered a loss of 14.5%.
The largest buyer within the EU is Germany, which increased its imports by more than a quarter in the period mentioned compared to 2024. It is followed by the Netherlands (-11.4%) and Spain (+1.2%). The average import price of EUR 6.42/kg is significantly above last year's level of EUR 5.46/kg, resulting in a 20.2% increase in import value to just over EUR 1 billion.
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EU cashew imports, in mt |
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|
Partner |
2024 |
2025 |
Diff. |
|
Vietnam |
115,675 |
117,860 |
1.9% |
|
Côte d'Ivoire |
20,586 |
27,355 |
32.9% |
|
India |
8,870 |
7,582 |
-14.5% |
|
Nigeria |
2,353 |
2,739 |
16.4% |
|
Brazil |
1,664 |
2,124 |
27.6% |
|
Others |
12,922 |
7,973 |
-38.3% |
|
Total |
162,070 |
165,633 |
2.2% |
|
DG AGRI TAXUD Customs Surveillance System, 01/01-16/11 08013200 Fresh or dried cashew nuts, shelled |
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