On May 6, the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service released March 2025 trade figures, indicating domestic pistachio exports at 20.8k metric tons (mt). This represents a 9.8% increase from February 2025 but a 41% decrease compared to March 2024 and 14% below the five-year average (2019/20-2023/24) for the period. The five-year average for April stands at 20.2k mt.
The top five export destinations accounted for 45% of March's total, with Germany importing 2.9k mt, Belgium 1.9k mt, Italy 1.6k mt, Spain 1.6k mt, and the United Arab Emirates 1.4k mt.
For the marketing year (September-August), US pistachio exports totaled 229.5k mt, showing a 24% year-over-year decrease but a 25% increase over the average pace. The 2023/24 marketing year marked a record for US pistachio exports, driven by heightened global demand. Pistachio production typically alternates between "on-years" and "off-years," with 2024 anticipated as an "off-year." Market participants indicate tight supplies, expected to remain so until the 2025 harvest, given ongoing robust demand.
The USDA's current balance sheet estimates for the 2024/25 marketing year anticipate export totals of 360k mt. To meet this target, US exporters must average 26.1k mt per month through August. Historically, the monthly average for April-August during the 2019/20-2023/24 crop years was 19.7k mt.
Source: Mintec/Expana