Vietnamese Robusta coffee exports to Japan record double-digit growth

August alone saw the nation export 9,100 tonnes of coffee worth US$28.51 million to Japan, a drop of 3.1% in volume and 2.3% in value compared to the previous month, but up 6.5% in volume and 37.6% in value against the same period last year.

Vietnamese coffee exports to the Japanese market in the opening eight months of the year reached 78,730 tonnes worth US$218.87 million, representing a rise of 1.1% in volume and 11.6% in value compared to last year's corresponding period from.

The average export price of Vietnamese coffee to the East Asian nation during the eight-month period surged 10.4% to US$2,780 per tonne on-year.

Most notably, the proportion of Robusta coffee as part of total export turnover to the Japanese market increased from 66.51% in the reviewed period last year to 69.1% in the same period this year. Similarly, the proportion of processed coffee exports also rose from 23.13% last year to 24.57% this year.

In contrast, the proportion of Arabica coffee exports to Japan decreased from 10.36% in the first eight months of last year to 6.34% in this year's same period.

According to statistics released by the International Trade Center, Japan imported approximately 207,400 tonnes of coffee worth US$873 million during the seven-month period, down 19.1% in volume and 20.4% in value compared to the same period from last year.

Experts attributed Japan's reduction in coffee imports to economic recession and high inflation, adding that there remains a positive outlook ahead for coffee exports to the market as Japan began to increase coffee imports again in July.

Local businesses are therefore advised to comply with the stringent phytosanitary requirements to make further inroads into the demanding market.