Vietnam warned it may lose market share in pepperVietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam is in the peak harvest season for the 2018 pepper crop, but sharp price falls and market problems all signal a challenging year for the pepper industry. Vietnam is a big pepper exporterIn 2017, Vietnam exported 38,861 tons, worth $221.2 million, to the US, a decrease of 1.9 percent in quantity and 35.4 percent in value compared with 2016. The country also imports pepper from other markets, including Brazil, Indonesia and Ecuador. A report from ESA (European Spice Association) found that only 17 percent of 799 black pepper samples imported into the EU had an MRL below 0.05 ppm.If the EC applies the new MRL, more than 80 percent of Vietnam’s pepper exports to the EU will meet difficulty.Meanwhile, the US, India and UAE are the three biggest export markets for Vietnam’s pepper. If Vietnam cannot control the quality of exports, it may lose its biggest markets.In 2017, Vietnam exported 38,861 tons, worth $221.2 million, to the US, a decrease of 1.9 percent in quantity and 35.4 percent in value compared with 2016.

Source: VietNamNet News March 12, 2018 01:07 UTC