Pistachios: exports below record
September 21, 2026 at 12:29 PM ,
Der AUDITOR
Strong recovery but not quite at record
August was the strongest final month of the season in recent years. Total monthly shipments reached 71.34 million pounds, marking a 67% recovery on the 42.81 million pound low witnessed in August last year. While domestic shipments thereby flatlined at 15.61 million pounds, exports more than doubled to a strong 55.78 million pounds as compared with last year’s weak 27.27 million pounds.
Grand total shipments finished the season with a 22% rise on 2024/2025. Here too domestic shipments remained relatively flat, whereas exports rose by 29%. Yet, the figure of 1.14 billion pounds did not quite reach the 1.18 billion pounds witnessed in the record 2023/2024 season.
With shipments ranging far more than twice as high Vietnam took the lead as most important destination for US pistachios. Exports to Hong Kong even witnessed a mad near eightfold rise. Exports to India rose by a much more moderate 5%. By contrast, shipments to China as the former top trading partner slumped by 78%. At 325.09 million pounds subtotal shipments to Asia climbed by 18% on the 274.78 million pounds registered in 2024/2025.
Exports to Germany crossed the 100-million-pound mark. Spain and Italy also showed impressive double-digit gains. As subtotal shipments to Europe rose to 340.74 million pounds the region maintained its positions as leading destination for US pistachios.
Turkey also showed an impressive 142% rise. Exports to the United Arab Emirates only stood 7% higher, whereas Jordan sported a 165% surge. At 181.26 million pounds shipments to the Middle East and Africa nearly doubled on the 99.46 million pounds noted in 2024/2025.
|
US pistachio shipments (1,000 pounds) |
|||
|
Destination |
2024/25 |
2025/26 |
Diff. |
|
Vietnam |
52,488 |
134,700 |
156.6% |
|
Germany |
94,030 |
106,005 |
12.7% |
|
Turkey |
28,065 |
67,930 |
142.0% |
|
Hong Kong |
8,087 |
64,304 |
895.2% |
|
Spain |
42,089 |
52,007 |
23.6% |
|
Italy |
30,471 |
41,226 |
35.3% |
|
India |
36,416 |
38,223 |
5.0% |
|
China |
153,266 |
34,044 |
-77.8% |
|
UAE |
25,851 |
27,605 |
6.8% |
|
Jordan |
9,830 |
26,012 |
164.6% |
|
Others |
221,549 |
314,063 |
41.8% |
|
Total Domestic |
236,785 |
238,356 |
0.7% |
|
Total Exports |
702,142 |
906,119 |
29.1% |
|
Grand Total |
938,927 |
1,144,474 |
21.9% |
|
Administrative Committee for Pistachios, 01/09-31/08 |
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Blanks to limit 2026/2027 production
The estimated marketable inventory stands at 167.46 million pounds, which is 46% up on the 114.58 million pounds 2025/2026 started off with. While crop receipts reached a record 1.59 billion pounds in 2025, this year’s production will be smaller. Reason is not only because California will witness an off year in the biennial production cycle but also because of other circumstances.
As Ag Services Specialist Agnomy highlights blanks are the big story this season with harvesting well underway. Trouble is that an unusually hot stretch disrupted bloom in March with yields largely varying depending on orchard and location. Although initially reported to be good, winter chill hours also turned out to be insufficient in some areas. Production estimates have, therefore, been revised downwards in recent months with the Administrative Committee for Pistachios anticipating 800 million pounds in August and other industry sources such as the Ag Center only projecting 723 million pounds.
India to buy more
As USDA FAS New Delhi anticipates in the Tree Nut Annual for India in September. Consumption and imports will rise by around 10% to 55,000 mt in 2026/2027. While the organisation initially projected 60,000 mt in 2025/2026 recent trade data prompted the organisation to cut this estimate to 50,000 mt as the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East present challenges for US and Iranian pistachio shipments. These disruptions will persist in 2026/2027.
India exclusively relies on imports to cover the rising domestic demand for pistachios driven by an expanding health-conscious middle class with a disposable income and food innovations. The US held a market share of 37% in 2025/2026, followed by Iran with 33% and the United Arab Emirates with 21%.
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