Cashew nuts: Criticality

A country that lives on a single nut

What this tab covers How exposed economies are to a supply disruption: the EU, US and India listings, the concentration score, and a quantified exposure for the US, EU, India, China, Japan, Latin America, the Middle East and Australia. Where the EU scored it, a chart of supply risk against economic importance, with import reliance, recycling input and substitutes.

Exposure by region

Region	Exposure	Share of world output	Share of world imports	Share of world exports	Net trade (US$)	On own critical list	Position
US	High	0.0%	27.7%	1.1%	−$1.05 bn	No	Largest importer of cashew kernels (27.7% of world import value in 2024) and grows none (UN Comtrade; FAOSTAT).
EU	High	0.0%	35.5%	32.0%	−$846.6 m	No	Large importer: Germany 11.0% and the Netherlands 8.1% of world kernel import value in 2024, with the Netherlands also a major re-exporter (UN Comtrade).
India	Low	18.7%	0.7%	17.8%	+$269.7 m	No	Second-largest RCN grower (18.7% of world output in 2024, FAOSTAT), large RCN importer (12.47 lakh t in CY2024) and largest kernel consumer (APEDA).
China	High	0.0%	5.8%	0.1%	−$224.3 m	No	Imports 5.8% of world kernel value and grows almost no cashew (UN Comtrade; FAOSTAT 2024).
Japan	High	0.0%	2.1%	0.0%	−$80.3 m	No	Not among the top six kernel importers in 2024 (UN Comtrade).
Latin America	Low	5.3%	0.8%	2.6%	+$12.2 m	no list	Brazil grew 0.16 Mt of RCN in 2024 and produces most of the world's recorded cashew apples (FAOSTAT).
Middle East	High	0.0%	6.7%	0.0%	−$259.1 m	no list	Turkey takes 4.3% of world kernel import value; Gulf states are not among the top six importers (UN Comtrade 2024).
Australia	High	0.0%	2.6%	0.0%	−$100.7 m	No	Not among the top producers or importers (FAOSTAT 2024; UN Comtrade 2024).

Exposure rating: High when the region is a net importer whose import share is at least three times its share of world output (or, for farm goods, it produces under 70% of what it consumes); Medium for other net importers (or 70-95% self-sufficiency), raised to High when world supply is highly concentrated in another country; Low for net exporters or self-sufficient regions. Net importer status uses tonnage where reported, otherwise value. Output: FAOSTAT, 2024. Trade: UN Comtrade 2024 (EU = sum of member states, including intra-EU trade). Critical lists: US 2025, EU 2024/1252, India 2023, China 2016 strategic minerals, Japan METI, Australia 2024.

Cashew is on neither the US 2025 nor the India 2023 critical list, but it is vital to some producer economies. Radetzki and Wårell show fruit and nuts made up 88% of Guinea-Bissau's exports in 2013-2017, and cashew is that country's main crop. Several West African states use export taxes and processing incentives to capture more value, with mixed results. Buyers face concentration in processing rather than growing, since Vietnam and India shell most of the world's nuts. Labour conditions in hand-shelling and drought at flowering are further risks.

EU 2023 Not assessed US 2025 list No India 2023 list No Production HHI 1,182 unconcentrated