Vietnam Expands Diverse Markets for Arabica Coffee

At a Glance (China Coffee Network): Facing pressure on Robusta coffee prices from increased supply, developing Arabica coffee has opened a new path to enhance the value of Vietnam’s coffee industry. Giving full play to the advantages of growing regions, improving product quality and targeting suitable market segments will help Arabica coffee expand sales channels and increase export benefits.

Facing pressure on Robusta coffee prices from increased supply, developing Arabica coffee has opened a new path to enhance the value of Vietnam’s coffee industry. Giving full play to the advantages of growing regions, improving product quality and targeting suitable market segments will help Arabica coffee expand sales channels and increase export benefits.

Improving Quality and Building Brands According to statistics from the Import-Export Department of Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, in the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam’s coffee export value was about US$6.59 billion; although export volume rose 16.2% year on year, export value fell 6.7%. The main reason was the decline in coffee export prices, especially the drop in Robusta coffee prices. Robusta coffee dominates Vietnam’s coffee exports.

At the same time, Arabica coffee has created new growth space for Vietnam’s coffee industry. In the first eight months of 2026, Arabica coffee export volume reached 61,100 tonnes and export value exceeded US$402 million, up 0.9% and 0.2% year on year respectively. On the other hand, compared with Robusta coffee, Arabica coffee prices are generally higher and less volatile, which has also had a positive impact on export value.

In Vietnam, many regions have suitable ecological conditions for developing Arabica coffee, including Son La province. Nguyen Xuan Hoang, deputy director of the Son La Department of Industry and Trade, said that the province’s current coffee planting area is about 44,000 hectares, mainly Arabica coffee, with an estimated green coffee output of more than 50,900 tonnes. The area under sustainable and equivalent certification reached more than 35,400 hectares. However, coffee sales still mainly follow a raw-material export model, with low added value and a large dependence on enterprises outside the province, and a stable market system has yet to be formed.

Nguyen Nhu Hung, general director of Son La Coffee Processing Joint Stock Company (SCP), said the company focuses on Son La Arabica coffee products, combining processing operations with raw-material growing areas, and enhancing product value through quality control, primary processing, deep processing, storage and commercialization. With an annual green-coffee production and processing capacity of about 12,000 tonnes, SCP’s target markets include China, South Korea, Japan, Russia and parts of the European market. A current important task is to build a brand with its own characteristics.

Mr. Nguyen Nhu Hung emphasized that the “Son La Arabica Coffee” brand needs to be built on four elements: origin transparency, stable quality, brand story and business credibility.

Meeting the Needs of Different Markets To increase export scale and value, strategies should be formulated for different markets, fully taking into account the consumption habits, processing requirements and product standards of each target market. In addition to major import markets, niche markets with unique consumption characteristics also deserve attention.

Nguyen Viet Hang, commercial counselor at the Vietnamese Trade Office in Turkey, pointed out that the Turkish market favors Arabica coffee. The import price of this variety is relatively high, at about US$7,856 to US$8,736 per tonne. Several retail brands have already incorporated 100% Arabica coffee into their product lines, indicating that Arabica coffee is fully capable of gaining a foothold in Turkey’s consumer market. Vietnamese enterprises should proactively promote product samples, deeply study the specific needs of importers, and actively participate in professional local trade fairs in Turkey, such as “WorldFood Istanbul,” “F-Istanbul” and “Foodist Istanbul”; when doing business with new partners, enterprises also need to verify information and choose safe payment terms before signing any agreement.

From the perspective of industry development, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tai, a representative of the Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association, believes that Arabica coffee-producing regions need to establish clear quality standards and origin identification. International experience shows that when Arabica coffee is closely linked to its producing region, processing methods and quality-control system, its value can be enhanced. Colombia emphasizes unified quality standards, Ethiopia focuses on building regional specialty value, and Brazil is committed to building a stable supply chain.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tai emphasized: “These experiences provide guidance for the development of Arabica coffee in various parts of Vietnam, with the focus on improving supply-chain quality on a large scale and selecting representative products to build brand reputation. The emphasis should be placed on improving technical specifications suited to local conditions; enhancing sorting, cup-testing and supply-organization capabilities. Enterprises need to identify importers, roasters and target customer groups from the very beginning, so as to build raw-material producing areas in line with actual demand.”

Facing the unpredictable fluctuations of the international coffee market, expanding the sales channels for Arabica coffee should be regarded as an important measure for the entire coffee industry to adjust its product structure, so as to diversify consumer markets and enhance the position of Vietnamese coffee in the international supply chain.