Vietnam sets coffee export revenue record as raw beans retain lead

Coffee exports brought Vietnam a record US$8.5 billion during the 2025-26 crop year, according to VICOFA chairman Nguyen Nam Hai. Speaking at a Ho Chi Minh City conference, he reported revenue growth of around one per cent, compared with an increase of about 21 per cent in shipments to around 1.8 million metric tons.

VICOFA's figures put green bean shipments at around 1.65 million metric tons, earning nearly US$7 billion. Although their volume climbed 21.4 per cent, their value dropped 1.5 per cent against the previous crop year.

Deeply processed products recorded gains on both measures: shipments reached around 142,600 metric tons, up 15 per cent, while earnings increased 14 per cent to US$1.5 billion.

Le Hoang Tai, deputy director of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said processed coffee contributed 17-17.5 per cent of export earnings in the first half of 2026 despite representing only around eight per cent of volume. Foreign-invested businesses accounted for more than 81 per cent of revenue from deeply processed coffee exports, he added.

Tai urged companies to upgrade processing technology, adapt products for individual markets and build brands around quality, production regions and sustainability. For the 2026-27 crop year, VICOFA has proposed a Vietnamese Robusta promotion programme with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, carrying an estimated budget of US$2 million.

VICOFA also named the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) as a priority. It said European roasters wanted proof of legal origins and deforestation-free compliance, while qualifying Vietnamese exports had attracted premiums of around US$50 per metric ton.

The association plans to help develop and implement a national EUDR adaptation action plan for 2026-30 alongside the ministry and relevant organisations.