Pistachios: sharp rise in US exports
June 16, 2026 at 12:29 PM ,
Der AUDITOR
Record May shipments
Total US pistachio shipments hit a record 84.9 million pounds in the month of May, marking a 20% rise on the 70.9 million pounds shipped in May last year. While monthly domestic shipments fell to a multi-year low of 18.5 million pounds, which was 6% lower than last year’s 19.7 million pounds, exports surged by 30% to a record 66.4 million pounds as opposed to the 51.2 million pounds recorded in May 2025.
Exports as main driver
Grand total shipments have also risen sharply by 20% on last year yet fall short of the 974.2 million pounds witnessed in September 2023 to April 2024. Main driver this year are exports with a 25% rise, whereas domestic shipments only range 3% higher than last year.
Vietnam tops the chart with a 182% surge in shipments from the US. Hong Kong has also seen an impressive sixfold rise, whereas exports to India are flat and have slipped by 85% to China. Subtotal exports to Asia stand at 262.1 million pounds, which is 8% up on last year’s 242.6 million pounds.
With shipments climbing by 26%, from 216.7 million pounds in 2024/2025 to 272.7 million pounds in 2025/2026, Europe has however outperformed Asia as leading export region for US pistachios. Shipments to Germany have risen by 15%, to Spain by 23% and to Italy by 51%.
Shipments to Turkey have more than doubled prompting the country to rank third. Exports to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have also witnessed impressive rises this season. Although a deal to end the war in Iran and reopen the Strait on Hormuz was reached on 15 June, shipping companies are waiting for details to emerge before resuming operations. At 144.6 million pounds subtotal shipments to the Middle East and Africa have surged by 77% as compared with the 81.7 million pounds registered last year.
|
US pistachio shipments (1,000 pounds) |
|||
|
Destination |
2024/25 |
2025/26 |
Diff. |
|
Vietnam |
42,278 |
119,399 |
182.4% |
|
Germany |
76,440 |
87,936 |
15.0% |
|
Turkey |
23,857 |
52,452 |
119.9% |
|
Hong Kong |
8,048 |
50,697 |
529.2% |
|
Spain |
33,887 |
41,589 |
22.7% |
|
Italy |
22,078 |
33,238 |
50.5% |
|
UAE |
19,301 |
23,423 |
21.4% |
|
India |
23,425 |
23,420 |
0.0% |
|
China |
148,077 |
23,005 |
-84.5% |
|
Saudi Arabia |
11,764 |
21,620 |
83.8% |
|
Others |
169,197 |
246,796 |
45.9% |
|
Total Domestic |
179,506 |
184,571 |
2.8% |
|
Total Exports |
578,352 |
723,575 |
25.1% |
|
Grand Total |
757,858 |
908,146 |
19.8% |
|
Administrative Committee for Pistachios, 01/09-31/05 |
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Buyers may switch to other nuts
While the estimated marketable inventory stood at 424.2 million pounds as of 31 May 2026, inventories will be tight in 2026/2027. According to official Nut and Dried Fruit Council projections US production will fall by 51% to 771.6 million pounds with global production also expected to decline by 36% to 1.5 billion pounds. US almond supplier Select Harvest reckons that it is very well possible that expensive pistachio prices will gradually prompt buyers to switch to other nuts such as almonds in 2026/2027.
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