The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reported the US was the biggest importer of Vietnamese peppercorn, accounting for 29% of the total shipments. It was followed by India 8% and Germany 6%. Export prices averaged 4,041 USD per tonne during January - February, rising 28.7% from the same period last year. As a result, domestic prices have also increased continuously, especially after the Lunar New Year festival Insiders said rising demand for the orders delivered right in the first quarter in foreign markets such as the US, the EU, Asia, and Africa has also fuelled peppercorn prices.  The Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association (VPSA) predicted that the country’s peppercorn output this year will drop by 10 - 15% to 170,000 tonnes./.