IPC REPORT - EXPORT OF PEPPER BY MALAYSIA

Malaysia, divided by the South China Sea into two regions; the Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo, shared land borders with Thailand, Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam. Malaysia, known to be one of the major pepper producing countries in the world with pepper production estimated at 24,000 Mt in 2019, produces more than 98% of its pepper in the State of Sarawak. Producing both black and white pepper, Malaysia is reported to actively export pepper to various countries.
In 2017, Malaysia was reported to have exported a total of 20,969 Mt of pepper from which 50% or 10,484 Mt of it comprised of whole pepper and 50% or 10,484 Mt of it ground pepper. Malaysia on average exported a total of 1,747 Mt per month in 2017 which peaked in August with 2,575 Mt. The total revenue of Malaysia's export of pepper in 2017 was reported to be as high as USD 72.6 Million. Thus, recording an average price of the total pepper exported by Malaysia at USD 5,543 per Mt for whole pepper and USD 1,386 per Mt for ground pepper.
Year 2018 saw a decrease in term of quantity of pepper exported by Malaysia. Malaysia was reported to have exported a total of 13,882 Mt of which 73% or 10,119 Mt of it comprised of whole pepper and 27% or 3,763Mt of it ground pepper, recording a decrease of 34% when compared with 2017. The average export of pepper by Malaysia in 2018 was reported to be at 1,157 Mt per month which peaked in March with 1,954 Mt. In accordance with decreasing in terms of quantity, Malaysia's revenue from pepper export was also reported to have decreased by 31% as compared to the previous year to a total of USD 50.1 Million. Thus, recording an average price of the total pepper exported by Malaysia at USD 3,762 per Mt for whole pepper and USD 3,205 per Mt for ground pepper or a decrease by 32% for whole pepper and an increase of 131% for ground pepper as compared with 2017.
At the end of 2019, Malaysia was reported to have exported a total of 9,860 Mt which 87% or 8,537 Mt of it comprised of whole pepper and 13% or 1,322 Mt of it ground pepper. Thus, recording a decrease of 29% when compared to 2018. The average export of pepper by Malaysia in 2019 was reported to be at 822 Mt per month which peaked in August with 1,131 Mt. By the end of 2019, the total revenue of pepper export by Malaysia was reported to have reached USD 35.2 Million, recording a decrease by 30% as compared to 2018. The average price of the total pepper exported by Malaysia in 2019 was reported at USD 3,086 per Mt for whole pepper and USD 6,743 per Mt for ground pepper or a decrease by 18% for whole pepper and an increase of 110% for ground pepper as compared with 2018.
Pepper from Malaysia is widely traded in Asia, Europe, America, Australia and Africa. In 2019, Malaysia's top 5 Country of destinations for its pepper were reported to be Japan with 3,599 Mt (a decrease of 6% as compared to 2018), China with 1,991 Mt (a decrease of 48%), Taiwan with 1,172 Mt (a decrease of 25%), Viet Nam with 820 Mt (a decrease of 41%) and South Korea with 635 Mt (a decrease of 16%). The significant decrease of export to China was the result of China starting to shift importing pepper from other origins such as Indonesia and Viet Nam instead of Malaysia (an increase of 4,534 Mt and 2,617 Mt respectively as compared to the same period in 2019).