Cashews from Vietnam
The world's largest cashew processing centre. Vietnam handles roughly half of all globally traded kernels, primarily through highly automated facilities in the southern provinces — and supplies most of the cashews on US and EU retail shelves.
Role
#1 processor (≈50% of global kernels)
Harvest
Feb – May (domestic, supplements African RCN)
Key certifications
BRC, HACCP, ISO 22000, USDA Organic, FSMA
Processing regions
- Bình Phước — Vietnam's cashew capital. Highest concentration of large-scale processors, automated shelling/peeling lines, export-ready packing.
- Đồng Nai — Second-largest processing cluster. Strong in W320 and W240 export.
- Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu — Coastal facilities with port-adjacent logistics.
- Long An, Tay Ninh, Dak Lak — Smaller clusters and farm-side processing.
Why source from Vietnam
- Scale. Vietnamese processors run the largest single facilities in the cashew industry — some with 200+ MT/day throughput. If you need volume reliability, this is where it sits.
- Cost. Higher automation and lower labour costs than Indian equivalents typically yield 3–6% lower FOB pricing on W320 and smaller wholes.
- US-spec readiness. Most large Vietnamese processors are FSMA-compliant and have established US import histories — fewer surprises at the FDA hold stage.
- Counter-cyclical supply. Vietnam's reliance on imported African RCN means kernel availability is partly decoupled from the Indian domestic harvest — useful for buyers smoothing supply.
Things to know
- Vietnam imports the majority of its RCN — primarily from Ivory Coast, Tanzania, and Mozambique. Vietnamese RCN buying programmes are a major price-setter in the global trade.
- Vietnamese processing is less artisan than Indian — the volume game means consistent W320 but fewer specialty grades.
- Language can be a friction point for smaller buyers; large processors have established English/French sales teams.
- Logistics from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon Port, Cai Mep) to US west coast: ~14 days. To Rotterdam: ~28 days.