Red cherries saw the biggest increases, with some varieties’ prices rising 80-95% to VND480,000 per kilogram at stores in Ho Chi Minh City. Yellow cherries are priced at VND800,000 per kilogram, a 50% jump.
Loan, whose store sells imported fruit in Go Vap Ward, said the surge was due to higher US prices and transportation costs, despite a slight increase in imports.
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Cherries on sale at a store in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by Read/Thi Ha |
Major retailers like Kroger and Walmart list several types of cherry at around $5.99-7.99 per pound, or VND347,000-464,000 per kilogram on their websites, roughly 15-20% higher than a year ago.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has projected a 17% year-on-year drop in US sweet cherry production to 310,500 metric tons in 2026.
Washington, the largest cherry-producing state and a major supplier for Vietnam, is forecast to produce around 200,000 tons, down more than 23%. Oregon’s production is also forecast to decline by around 24%.
U.S. cherries typically enter harvest season in May in California and from June to August in Washington and Oregon.
This year, warm weather in California caused the harvest to start earlier, while production in the Pacific Northwest states fell sharply due to frost and cold weather in spring.
Vietnamese importers said another factor driving up prices is higher logistics costs stemming from the Middle East conflict, which has caused fluctuations in fuel prices, freight rates and other costs related to transporting goods.
The impact is more pronounced on fresh fruit that needs to be transported quickly and kept refrigerated, they added.
Customs data show that Vietnam imported around $37 million worth of cherries in the first half of 2026, up 9.3% year-on-year.