VIETNAM, May 26 - HÀ NỘI — Egypt and Turkey suddenly bought a large amount of pepper from Việt Nam.

Statistics from the General Department of Customs show that Việt Nam exported 26,440 tonnes of pepper in April, earning US$83.47 million, up 7.3 per cent in volume but down 26.8 per cent in value year-on-year.

Việt Nam's pepper exports reached 102,500 tonnes in the first four months of this year, worth $316.64 million, down 12.4 per cent in volume and down 33.8 per cent in value over the same period last year.

However, regarding the market in April, exports to the US, the UAE, India, Germany, and the UK all decreased sharply.

Pepper exports to Turkey and Egypt recorded a sudden growth.

Specifically, by the end of April, Việt Nam exported 1,799 tonnes of "black gold" to Egypt, earning nearly $5.3 million, up 281.1 per cent in volume and 157.4 in value.

Exports to Turkey also increased by 167.6 per cent in volume and 89 per cent in value over the same period last year.

The massive purchases has brought Egypt and Turkey into the top 10 largest customers of Việt Nam's "black gold" in the four months of the year. — VNS