Since 2001, Vietnam has always been the leading country in the production and export of pepper. Compared to the countries in the 2nd and 3rd positions, our achievements far surpass theirs.
Pepper is one of the most important spices in the world from ancient times. In the ancient world, black pepper was referred to as “black gold” by merchants. In addition to being an indispensable spice for the Romans and medieval Europe, black pepper played a central role in the medicines of ancient India and China.
Some documents from the Han and Tang dynasties (China) show that merchants brought pepper from India to Sichuan in the 2nd century BC.
In Europe, to acquire this spice, the Roman Empire annually sent about 120 ships to India to purchase pepper and then brought it back to Europe to store it in large warehouses.
Vietnam is the world center for pepper export.
With the ambition to possess pepper, many European explorers, such as Christopher Columbus and Vasco da Gama, sailed to India to find the source of ‘black gold’ and other spices. These pioneering voyages led to the discovery of new trade routes and made black pepper become the most beloved spice and an important commodity in the global spice trade.
It is known that the world’s most favorite spice was introduced to Vietnam by the French in the 17th century. Although India is the homeland of pepper, Vietnam is the largest pepper-producing and exporting country in the world.
There are six key provinces in Vietnam for pepper production, including Binh Phuoc, Dak Nong, Dak Lak, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Dong Nai, and Gia Lai. Since 2001, Vietnam has become the largest pepper exporter in the world, with a total export volume of 56,506 tons, accounting for 28% of the world’s total pepper exports.
Since then, Vietnam has never lost the leading position in pepper production and export.
In 2022, Vietnam exported more than 232,000 tons of pepper, with a turnover of nearly 990 million USD, continuing to maintain its position as the world’s leading pepper exporter.
Especially, according to a study from the Electronic Industry and Trade Journal, for many years, Vietnam’s pepper export volume has been many times higher than that of Brazil and Indonesia. In 2022 alone, Vietnam far surpassed the second and third countries by 86,400 tons (worth 309 million USD) and 27,900 tons (118 million USD), respectively.
Currently, Vietnamese pepper “serves” more than 100 countries and territories. Among them, China in particular and Asia in general are the main export markets. Besides, Vietnamese pepper is exported to other major markets such as the USA, EU, and Africa.
To increase production to serve many customers around the world, in the past 10 years, Vietnam has built many modern factories. At the same time, it is honored to be recognized by the Business & Commerce magazine as the world’s center for pepper export.