Strong increase in cashew imports in the European Union

16-Jun-2025 03:13 PM

Mangalore. There has been a significant rise in cashew imports in the European Union. According to the available data, during the first quarter of the current year—January to March 2025—the quantity of cashew imported into the EU increased by 16 percent to 42,850 tonnes compared to the same period last year.

The value of these imports rose by 42 percent to 273 million euros (300 million dollars), driven largely by relatively high cashew prices.

Vietnam accounted for 72 percent of the EU's total cashew imports during this period. With the United States imposing a steep 46 percent customs duty on Vietnamese cashew products, many Vietnamese exporters are now shifting their focus to alternative markets such as the European Union, Japan, China, and the Middle East.

Currently, around 30 percent of Vietnam’s cashew exports go to the US, but rising prices may complicate that scenario further.

Ivory Coast, one of the world’s top producers of raw cashew, is also making a notable shift by increasing exports of processed cashew to the US.

The country is rapidly expanding its processing capacity and improving the quality of its raw cashew. As a result, exports of processed cashew from Ivory Coast to the EU have surged by 43 percent.

Formerly a major exporter of raw cashew, the West African nation is now increasing its presence in the global market for processed cashew.

India continues to be the third-largest supplier of cashew to the European Union. However, during the same period, its export growth was modest at just 8 percent. One of the key reasons for this is the rising domestic demand and consumption of cashew in India, coupled with fluctuating domestic prices.

Although the United States has imposed a 21 percent import duty on Indian cashew, its actual impact on Indian exports has yet to be clearly observed.