Germany reduces pepper imports from Vietnamese market
Germany moved to reduce pepper imports from the nation, along with the Netherlands and Indonesia, in the first half of the year, whilst increasing imports from Brazil and Sri Lanka, according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the EU.
This comes after Germany imported 4,533 tonnes of pepper worth US$16.16 million from the country, representing a decrease of 21.9% in volume and 4.5% in value compared to the same period from last year.
Furthermore, the complicated developments relating to the COVID-19 pandemic have negatively impacted Vietnamese pepper exports to Germany.
High freight rates have also served to reduce the competitiveness of local pepper products in the German market in comparison to other major suppliers such as Brazil and Sri Lanka.
However, there remains plenty of room for pepper exports in the near future due to the recovery of the German economy in the aftermath of the pandemic, thereby leading to an increasing demand for food, including pepper, according to economists.
Despite this, Germany has set forth an array of stringent requirements for imported products, including limits of pesticides and origin traceability.
Experts have therefore advised local firms to meet the standards in terms of product quality and the rule of origin in order to export pepper to the German market in a stable and sustainable manner moving forward.
