Vietnam coffee export revenue hits record $8.5bn, but raw beans still dominate

Vietnam exported around 1.8 million metric tons of coffee in the 2025-26 crop year, up about 21 percent year on year, while export revenue rose only around one percent to a record US$8.5 billion, VICOFA chairman Nguyen Nam Hai said at a conference in Ho Chi Minh City on Monday to review the past crop year's performance and discuss priorities for the upcoming season.

Despite the record revenue, green coffee beans continued to dominate exports, accounting for around 1.65 million metric tons worth nearly $7 billion, according to VICOFA.

Their export volume increased 21.4 percent from the previous crop year, while export value fell 1.5 percent.

By contrast, exports of deeply processed coffee products reached around 142,600 metric tons worth $1.5 billion, with volume rising 15 percent and value increasing 14 percent year on year.

The figures highlight the potential to capture more value through processing.

Le Hoang Tai, deputy director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade's Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, said processed coffee made up only around eight percent of the export volume in the first half of 2026 but it generated 17-17.5 percent of the total export revenue.

To capitalize on this potential, Tai called on businesses to invest in processing technology, develop products tailored to individual markets, and build brands associated with quality, growing regions, and sustainable production.

He also noted that foreign-invested enterprises account for more than 81 percent of the export revenue from deeply processed coffee products.

Vietnam captures nearly 40 percent of the global Robusta production, yet much of its coffee is exported as raw material for foreign brands, underscoring the need to build stronger international recognition for Vietnamese coffee, experts said at a recent seminar in Ho Chi Minh City.

Against this backdrop, VICOFA has proposed working with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to develop a plan to promote Vietnamese Robusta coffee, with an estimated budget of $2 million, as one of its priorities for the 2026-27 crop year.

Beyond adding value and strengthening brands, the industry must also adapt to increasingly stringent international requirements. 

VICOFA has identified compliance with new market regulations, particularly the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), as a key priority.

According to VICOFA, European roasters are seeking Vietnamese coffee shipments that can demonstrate legal origin and compliance with deforestation-free requirements.

Vietnamese exporters have received premiums of around $50 per metric ton for products meeting EUDR requirements.

To address these requirements, VICOFA plans to work with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and relevant organizations to develop and implement a national action plan for adapting to the EUDR over the 2026-30 period.