According to the Customs Department, Vietnam’s coconut exports reached over 533 million USD in 2025, an increase of over 36% compared to the same period last year. Market share therefore increased from 5.5% in 2024 to 6.2% in 2025, second only to durian.
In addition to fresh and dried coconuts, Vietnam has exported over 100 coconut-based processed products, such as coconut oil, canned coconut water, or dried coconut meat, to dozens of countries and territories. Vietnam’s exports of coconuts and coconut products reached about 1.15 billion USD, placing Vietnam third in the world, behind only the Philippines and Indonesia.
From mid-August 2024, fresh coconuts are officially exported to China through official channels. This is the world’s largest coconut market, with about 4 billion coconuts consumed annually.
Vietnam is the world’s third-largest exporter of coconut.
Besides China, the US is a major market for coconut consumption due to strong demand from retail chains and the beverage industry. Coconut exports to the US account for nearly 26% of Vietnam’s total coconut export value. Additionally, Spain has also increased its imports of Vietnamese coconuts in recent times.
Vinh Long has a coconut area of nearly 120,000 hectares, accounting for over 50% of the country’s total coconut area. On average, nearly 270,000 coconut-growing farmer households in the province have a stable income of 100–150 million VND/ha/year.
Among long-term industrial crops, coconut ranks fourth in terms of area, behind only rubber, coffee, and cashew. However, 10 years ago, coconuts had no place on the export map at all. By 2024, the export value of the coconut industry had reached about 1 billion USD. In early 2024, coconut was included in the group of key national industrial crops.
However, the Vietnamese coconut industry faces numerous challenges from traditional production practices, climate change, diseases, and market price fluctuations.
Coconut is considered a “global superfood,” with the global market expected to grow from 3.5 billion USD (2023) to 8.2 billion USD (2032). In that context, Vietnam, the world’s 7th largest coconut producer, has seized the opportunity with a clear development strategy.
The government classifies coconut as one of the six key industrial crops, which are eligible for special support in terms of land, credit, and trade promotion. Additionally, its distance to China helps Vietnam shorten shipping times and reduce logistics costs.
“The Chinese market, which previously depended heavily on Thailand, has now shifted strongly to imports from Vietnam,” said Mr. Tattawin Saruno, an independent scholar and expert on Thai agricultural management.