According to statistics from the Vietnam Pepper Association (VPSA), Vietnam’s star anise exports in September 2025 reached over 945 tons, with a value of over 4.4 million tons. This is a decrease of 2.8% in volume and 2% in value. India is Vietnam’s largest star anise export market, accounting for 63.3% or 598 tons.
In the first 9 months of 2025, Vietnam exported 11,193 tons of star anise, with a total export value of 44.5 million USD. Compared to the same period in 2024, export volume increased by 14.0%, but export value decreased by 5.0%.
According to PROSEA (Plant Resources of South East Asia), a research unit on plant resources in Southeast Asia, star anise is a rare spice, with only two harvests per year. In the world, it primarily grows in northern Vietnam such as Lang Son (40,000 ha), Quang Ninh (8,600 ha), Cao Bang (4,500 ha), and in some regions of China, including Guangxi (85%) and Yunnan. Star anise trees start bearing fruit after 5 years. But from the 10th year, the yield can bring an income of up to 400 million VND/ha/year and remain stable for decades.
Vietnam’s star anise exports brought in over 45 million USD.
According to the World Spice Association, Vietnam’s star anise production ranks second globally, behind only China, with an annual output of about 22,000 tons. Currently, Vietnam has over 70 import markets for this item, with India, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) being the three largest.
Not only star anise, Vietnam is also one of the major exporting countries for many popular spices such as pepper and cinnamon, especially in the Indian market. India has emerged as a significant bright spot for Vietnamese pepper. According to data from Vietnamese Customs, in September 2025, Vietnam exported 376 tons of pepper to India, worth 2.56 million USD. Compared to August 2025, the volume and value decreased slightly, but compared to the same period in 2024, exports increased significantly by 39.3% in volume and 32.1% in value, respectively.
A report in 2021 by SNV (Netherlands Development Organization) said that Vietnam has a significant advantage due to its suitable climate and soil, as well as the support of authorities in developing agriculture and forestry. In 2024, Vietnam’s spice industry reached a value of over 1.4 billion USD and is aiming for 2 billion USD in 2025, with star anise being one of the key products.
With prices ranging from 150,000–200,000 VND/kg in the domestic market, star anise continues to prove its appeal not only in economic value but also in its uses in cuisine, medicine, and the processing industry. This plant not only represents Vietnamese agriculture but also show the sustainable development potential of local specialty products.