Cote d’Ivoire Cashew Nuts Exports Bring In $623M in 2025

In 2025, the exports of cashew nuts brought in USD 623 million to Cote d’Ivoire. Cote d’Ivoire is one of the world’s largest producers of cashew nuts. In terms of tonnage, Cote d’Ivoire exported 1.5 million tonnes of cashew nuts, compared to a little less than one million tonnes in 2024, representing a lofty 50% increase year-on-year.

It is also encouraging to note that local processing is gradually increasing. The amount of cashew nuts processed locally jumped from 344,028 tonnes in 2024 to 659,579 tonnes in 2025, almost doubling the amount in a year. Cote d’Ivoire aims to process at least 50% of its production by 2030. Based on current trends, it would appear that the goal might be easily reached, and the authorities might consider raising the bar.

Mamadou Berte, DG of the Council of Cotton and Cashew of Cote d’Ivoire, stated that 10 new processing facilities are underway and will add another 200,000 tonnes of processing capacity soon.

After cocoa and rubber, cashew is the third largest agricultural export of Cote d’Ivoire. In December 2025, the Council of Cotton and Cashew signed a partnership agreement with American firm, The Andersons, to boost the export of the nuts to the USA.

The USA is a sizeable market and buys nearly 20% of the global supply of cashews. On 14 November 2025, US President Trump announced that the US is removing customs #tariffs on cashew nuts. However, Africa has only a 7% market share of the American market, while Vietnam commands nearly 90%.

The US market is highly price-sensitive, whereas the EU market gives consideration to quality and #sustainability. Thus, many African countries tend to favor the EU market, where their agricultural produce can fetch a higher price. In 2024, Africa supplies more than 20% of the EU’s needs in cashew nuts.