Although volume dropped slightly by 0.6% year-on-year during the period, value spiked by 62.3% as the average price rose 63.2% to $5,709 per ton, customs data shows.
In May alone, exports totaled nearly 149,000 tons worth $860 million, an increase of 60.5% in volume and nearly 2.2 times in value year-on-year.
The EU remained the largest market for Vietnamese coffee, importing more than 367,000 tons worth $2 billion, up 10.2% in volume and 81.9% in value.
Shipments to the U.S. also increased sharply, by 6.3% in volume to 54,310 tons and 72.4% in value to $299 million.
Exports to emerging markets also soared drastically with shipments to Algeria doubling and to Mexico by 39 times and South Africa by 17 times.
Challenges ahead
Despite impressive growth, Vietnam’s coffee exports are facing with challenges, especially risks from global policy uncertainties and downward trend of global prices.
Analysts warned that global coffee prices are trending to drop due to rising supply from major producers, Robusta futures in London closed at $4,409 per ton on June 11, down 15.6% from the previous month. Arabica on the New York exchange also dropped by 8.4%.
In the domestic market, coffee prices in the Central Highlands have fallen to their lowest level since November, at around VND112,000 (US$4.3) per kg, down 12%.
According to the Import -Export Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the price drop comes as Brazil and Indonesia are entering new harvest seasons. Brazil’s coffee crop is expected to increase by 0.5% to 65 million bags in 2025-26 harvest season while Vietnam’s output is forecast to increase by 6.9% to 31 million bags, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
However, the department said that Vietnam’s coffee export outlook remains optimistic, projecting the full-year exports at $7 billion. The figure was $5.4 billion in 2024.
