Weekly Publications

MARKET REPORT

Market this week showed mixed response with a rather static outlook. In local market, Malabar black pepper was traded with a 1% deficit as compared to the previous week with an average of USD 4,202 per Mt. Indonesia black and white pepper was reported stable with an average of USD 1,639 per Mt for black pepper and USD 3,313 per Mt for white pepper. Farmers in Lampung were reported to hold selling their pepper in the hope of better price. Malaysian black and white pepper was also reported stable at an average of USD 1,993 per Mt and USD 3,505 per Mt respectively. Furthermore, Viet Nam black and white pepper was also reported stable and unchanged. Sri Lanka black pepper continuously moving up, in local market it recorded an increase by 2% as compared to the previous week and was traded at an average of USD 2,708 per Mt. Whilst, China white pepper was reported stable with an average of USD 4,595 per Mt.

In international market, the trend also showed mixed response. FOB price of India black pepper was reported with the same 1% deficit as compared to the previous week at an average of USD 4,484 per Mt. Indonesia black and white pepper was reported steady with an average of USD 2,040 per Mt for black pepper and USD 3,926 per Mt for white pepper. Malaysia black and white pepper continued to be traded stable and unchanged. Furthermore, Viet Nam black pepper 500 g/l, 550 g/l and Viet Nam white pepper were reported stable and unchanged averaging at USD 2,250 per Mt, USD 2,315 per Mt and USD 3,400 per Mt respectively. China reported a stable international trade for its white pepper with an average of USD 4,795 per Mt.

IMPORT OF PEPPER BY BELGIUM

Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a sovereign state in Western Europe. It is bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France. Belgium actively imports pepper from various pepper producing countries for domestic consumption or for re-export.

In 2017, Belgium was reported to have imported a total 2,541 Mt of pepper which 54% or 1,373 Mt of it comprised of whole pepper while 46% or 1,169 Mt of it was ground pepper. The average import by Belgium in 2017 was reported to be 212 Mt per month with the highest quantity recorded in January with 378 Mt. The total expenditure of pepper imported by Belgium was reported to be as high as USD 23.8 Million, recording an average price of the total pepper imported by Belgium at USD 9,630 per Mt for whole pepper and USD 9,124 Per Mt for ground pepper.

Year 2018 saw a decreasing trend in term of quantity of pepper imported by Belgium. Belgium was reported to have recorded a total of 2,224 Mt which comprised of 42% or 938 Mt of whole pepper and 58% or 1,286 Mt of ground pepper. Thus, recording a 12% deficit as compared to the same period in 2017. On average Belgium was reported to have imported 185 Mt per month and peaked in March with 253 Mt. In accordance with decreasing in terms of quantity, Belgium's expenditure from pepper import was reported to have declined by 32% to a total of USD 16.3 Million, recording an average price of the total pepper imported by Belgium at USD 7,583 per Mt for whole pepper and USD 7,167 per Mt for ground pepper or a decrease by 21% respectively as compared with 2017.

Pepper import by Belgium as of June 2019 was reported with a decrease of 26% as compared with the same period in 2018, totalling at 794 Mt which comprised of 222 Mt of whole pepper and 571 Mt of ground pepper. The total expenditure of pepper import by Belgium as of June 2019 was reported with a decrease by 27% as compared to the same period in the previous year, totalling at USD 6.0 Million.

The top five countries of origins of Belgium's pepper both for whole and ground as of June 2019 were reported to be the Netherlands with 343 Mt (a decrease of 59% as compared with the same period in 2018), Germany with 110 Mt (an increase of 31%), Indonesia with 65 Mt (an increase of 5%), France with 55 Mt (an increase of 42%) and India with 46 Mt (an increase of 43%). The significant decrease of Belgium import from the Netherlands could be contributed that Belgium preferred to shift import from producing country like India (an increase by 20 Mt as compared to the same period in 2018) and also Belgium started to shift import to Germany and France which are the re-export hub to European countries (an increase by 35 Mt and 23 Mt respectively as compared to the same period in 2018).