Vietnam Star Anise Prices Hold Firm as Weather Stays Supportive

Vietnamese star anise export prices are stable, with organic and conventional offers out of Hanoi unchanged and a narrow premium for non‑organic quality. Near-term fundamentals look balanced: steady cross-border flows, supportive but non-threatening weather in key northern provinces, and no fresh demand shock from China. Spot activity remains concentrated around Lang Son and other northern border hubs, where star anise is a flagship spice crop. Recent provincial data show overall agriculture holding steady despite earlier storms, and cross-border truck flows through Lang Son’s gates remain high, indicating no major logistical bottlenecks for spice exports. Warm, humid conditions with scattered showers are forecast over the next three days in core production areas, which should support drying and logistics without adding new weather stress. Against this backdrop, buyers and sellers are mostly rolling positions rather than chasing the market in either direction.

Prices

Vietnamese FOB Hanoi prices for star anise are flat versus last quoted levels, with organic at EUR 6.85/kg FOB Hanoi and conventional at EUR 7.65/kg FOB Hanoi. The organic line has effectively moved sideways in recent weeks, while the conventional grade has also held steady at its prior quotation, suggesting a broadly balanced physical market.

Supply & Demand

Lang Son province confirms that agriculture and forestry production over the first nine months of 2026 has remained stable with key area targets broadly on track, indicating no major disruption to perennial spice crops such as star anise. At the same time, cross-border trade via Lang Son’s border gates continues at high volumes, with nearly 1,900 trucks per day recently, underscoring healthy logistics capacity for exports to China and beyond.

Customs and trade-tracking data show Vietnam’s star anise and star anise seed trade is anchored in regular, relatively small-batch shipments, with buyer numbers in Vietnam and abroad remaining diversified. While there is no evidence of a new demand surge from China in the last few days, broader Vietnamese trade statistics point to robust overall import and export growth in 2026, suggesting external demand conditions remain broadly supportive for spices.

Weather & Crop Conditions (VN)

Short-term weather forecasts for Lang Son, a core star anise area, point to warm conditions with highs around the upper 20s to low 30s °C and scattered light rain over the coming three days. These patterns are typical for late September and are generally favorable for final field operations and drying, provided wet spells remain intermittent.

No severe storms or flooding warnings specific to Lang Son are flagged in the latest national meteorological updates, so near-term weather risk to supply appears limited. Overall, the current outlook supports stable yield expectations and unobstructed truck movements from upland orchards to northern border gates.

Fundamentals & Market Drivers

• Production: Provincial reporting indicates that northern agricultural output in 2026 is broadly meeting plan, with planted areas slightly above last year, signaling adequate raw material availability for star anise processors.
• Trade flows: High daily truck counts through Lang Son’s border crossings confirm that cross-border traffic with China remains fluid, reducing the risk of logistics-driven price spikes in the short term.
• Demand: Recent trade intelligence shows a stable base of international buyers for star anise and star anise seed, without a fresh spike in orders over the last few days. This aligns with the current sideways price pattern.

Trading Outlook

• Short-term (next 1–2 weeks): With FOB Hanoi prices flat and no acute weather or logistics threats, a broadly sideways market is the base case. Buyers can continue hand-to-mouth coverage while monitoring any uptick in Chinese or regional demand.
• Producers & exporters: Given steady prices and supportive weather, this is a window to firm up forward commitments at current levels rather than holding out for near-term gains, especially for organic grades around EUR 6.85/kg FOB Hanoi.
• Importers: Those with low inventories may use current stability to lock in partial Q4 coverage, focusing on quality differentiation between organic and conventional lots rather than waiting for significant price softening.

3-Day Regional Price Indication (VN)

• Hanoi – organic star anise, FOB: Expected to remain around EUR 6.85/kg over the next three days, with a flat to mildly firm bias if demand for higher oil-content lots improves.
• Hanoi – conventional star anise, FOB: Likely to hold near EUR 7.65/kg, with only limited upside risk given current balanced fundamentals.