According to the Agency of Foreign Trade (Ministry of Industry and Trade), in the first nine months of 2025, the export value of Vietnamese coconut products reached nearly USD 400 million. This figure represents a sharp increase compared to the same period in 2024. Notably, Vietnam’s processed coconut products increased by as much as 54.8%. With more than 200,000 hectares under cultivation, Vietnamese coconuts show strong prospects for export to global markets.
Mr. Văn Hữu Huệ is the Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Vĩnh Long Province. He stated that by the end of 2025, the province is likely to have 120,000 hectares of coconut plantations. This area accounts for more than 50% of the country’s total coconut-growing area.
Currently, the province has 30,355 hectares of industrial coconut cultivation produced under organic standards (USDA, EU, JAS, etc.). This represents 25.45% of its total coconut area. In addition, there are 156 codes for fresh coconut growing areas covering 11,012 hectares. Moreover, China has granted export eligibility codes for 17 coconut packaging facilities.
Vietnamese coconut products
The province is home to approximately 183 enterprises engaged in the production and processing of Vietnamese coconut products. These include coconut oil, coconut water, coconut milk, coconut cream, desiccated coconut, and coconut candy. They also include products derived from coconut flower nectar, nata de coco, cosmetics, coconut shell charcoal, coir fiber, and various handicrafts.
The value of the coconut processing and manufacturing sector in 2025 is likely to reach around VND 4 trillion. This figure is up 3.9% in comparison to 2024 and accounts for about 8% of the province’s total industrial production value.
Mr. Huệ stated “The province has great potential for developing organic coconuts in line with international standards. This is thanks to favorable soil and climate conditions, quality planting materials, and the application of organic farming practices. As a result, local organic coconut products are highly favorable in both domestic and international markets. They meet the stringent requirements of high-quality markets such as the United States, Japan, and the EU”.
“To further improve productivity, quality, and competitiveness, the province has proposed that the government develop a project to assess physical and chemical soil properties and create soil maps. In addition, the project would apply the ArcGIS geographic information system to build a database for Vietnamese coconut products. It would also propose solutions to improve soil health and manage soil nutrition for coconut cultivation and organic coconut zones,” Mr. Huệ emphasized.
Desiccated coconut from Vietnam
Coconut is one of the six key industrial crops under the master plan for developing key industrial crops through 2030. Its export markets are also increasingly expanding. Since mid-August 2024, fresh Vietnamese coconuts have officially been available to China through official channels. China is one of the world’s largest coconut-consuming markets, with demand of around 4 billion coconuts per year. This includes approximately 2.6 billion fresh coconuts, opening up significant opportunities for Vietnam.
A representative of a Vietnamese coconut company said that the company is currently exporting coconuts to the United States, Australia, and Canada. At the same time, it is accelerating exports to China to take advantage of its close geographical proximity, which helps reduce logistics costs. However, countries such as Thailand and Indonesia also export large volumes of coconuts to China. As a result, competition is quite intense and requires Vietnamese coconuts to improve quality while maintaining reasonable prices.
In addition to China, the United States is a major coconut-consuming market due to surging demand from retail chains and the beverage industry. Coconut exports to the U.S. account for nearly 26% of Vietnam’s total coconut export turnover. Meanwhile, Spain has also increased its imports of Vietnamese coconuts in recent times.
To increase export value, the Vietnamese coconut industry needs to focus on developing deeply processed products. Mr. Phạm Anh Tuấn is the Director of the Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Post-Harvest Technology (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment). He noted that currently only about 30% of coconut products are deeply processed along the value chain.
Vietnamese coconut factory
These include coconut water, coconut milk, coconut oil, desiccated coconut, and other products. Some advanced technologies have already been applied, such as UHT sterilization for coconut water. These are combined with multi-layer aseptic packaging and pure oil extraction technologies.
Mr. Tuấn recommended that the coconut industry further promote the development of coconut milk, as it is an important input for the food processing industry. At present, the four leading Asian exporters of coconut milk powder and liquid coconut milk are the Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia.
To penetrate this market segment, coconut processing and exporting enterprises must comply with strict quality standards. This market has precise regulations on coconut cream content, fat and protein levels, and aroma stability. As consumer trends toward natural and green products continue to grow, it is necessary to expand organic production.
At the same time, enterprises must fully meet food safety regulations on preservatives, microbiological indicators, and heavy metal residues. These regulations are in accordance with EU standards and those of other high-quality markets.
Vietnamese source: https://nhandan.vn/tiem-nang-xuat-khau-dua-viet-nam-tang-manh-post926687.html
