(Yicai) Nov. 13 -- Pistachio prices in China have surged more than 30 percent over the past three months, driven by reduced production in the United States and Iran and a significant drop in imports from the latter.

Pistachio wholesale prices reached CNY35 (USD5.25) per kilogram this month, up from CNY31.25 in September and around CNY26.25 before August, according to the latest data from the Beijing Xinfadi Agricultural Products Wholesale Market. In addition, a roasted nuts seller in a Shanghai shopping mall told Yicai that the store raised its pistachio prices to CNY69 per kg earlier this month from about CNY50 per kg.

Pistachios are a popular nut among Chinese consumers and have become a trendy ingredient in the ice cream and chocolate industries in recent years. China relies heavily on pistachio imports, mainly from Iran and the US.

Price quotes from upstream pistachio suppliers have recently doubled, an insider from the food processing sector told Yicai. “China mainly imports pistachios from the US, Iran, and Turkey. A sharp drop in exports from Iran has pushed pistachio prices higher.”

China imported pistachios worth about USD299 million last year, according to data from the General Administration of Customs. Imports from Iran topped 20,500 tons and from the US 19,000 tons, worth about USD145 million and USD139 million, respectively.

The US-Israel-Iran conflict has disrupted commodity trade, and despite declining supplies from Iran, US imports also fell. China imported 9,276 tons of pistachios from the US in the first nine months of this year, worth about USD75 million, down 18 percent in volume and 4.9 percent in value from a year earlier.

The world’s five top pistachio-producing regions are the US, Iran, Turkey, the European Union, and Syria, according to data from the US Department of Agriculture. The US and Iran accounted for more than 80 percent of total global production in the 2025-2026 marketing year.

Pistachios have pronounced on-year and off-year cycles. In a bumper year, trees bear a large crop and consume substantial nutrients, but an off-year with a significant drop in output typically follows.

The US and Iran are entering an off-year for pistachios in the 2026-2027 marketing year, while persistent heat and drought have further weighed on production, leading to forecasts of a sharp decline in global output. According to data from the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council, global pistachio production will likely plunge 36 percent to about 701,000 tons this season from the previous season, ending below one million tons for the first time in four years.

Editor: Martin Kadiev