According to Vinafruit Secretary-General Deng Fuyuan, China, Thailand, Hong Kong, China, and Japan are the main import markets for Vietnamese durian.
Among them, the Chinese market leads, accounting for more than 90% of the total exports. In the first 11 months of 2024 alone, China imported more than 2.8 billion US dollars of durian from Vietnam, a year-on-year increase of 43%. Thailand was second, with imports of about 177 million US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 82%. Compared with the same period in 2023, the Hong Kong and Japanese markets recorded an increase of 16% and 85% respectively. It can be said that 2024 is a bumper year for Vietnamese durian, making an important contribution to the export of fruits and vegetables reaching about 7.2 billion US dollars.
In 2025, Vietnamese companies have ample time to prepare for meeting the plant quarantine requirements and food safety agreements for durian exported to China, and durian exports are expected to continue to grow.
Vietnamese frozen durian is allowed to be imported into China, including whole durian (with shell), durian paste (shelled) and durian rice (shelled). Exporting these products helps companies and growers make full use of raw materials, especially fresh whole fruits that do not meet export requirements, and further increase Add export value.
According to data from the General Administration of Customs of China, by 2023, China's durian consumption will account for 91% of global consumption, indicating that the market has great potential. In the first 10 months of 2024 alone, China imported about 1.5 million tons of durian, worth nearly 6.68 billion US dollars, an increase of 10.1% over the same period in 2023, and a value increase of 4.4%.
Therefore, Vietnamese durian has great potential in the Chinese market. At present, Vietnam's durian production is huge and can be harvested all year round, which is conducive to stabilizing export supply. Importantly, Vietnam needs to ensure quality, food hygiene and safety, aiming to surpass other competitors such as Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines in the Chinese market.
Information from the Import and Export Bureau of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam shows that in order to protect its market share, Thailand is focusing on strengthening quality control and standards to solve problems such as durian softening and pests. Innovating new durian varieties to meet consumer tastes also gives Thai durian a competitive advantage in the Chinese market.
On the other hand, the China-Laos Railway has significantly reduced the transportation cost and time of Thai durian, improving product competitiveness. Starting from the end of the third quarter of 2024, Malaysia will also officially export fresh durian to China. Previously, the country mainly exported frozen durian to the Chinese market. Therefore, starting from 2025, Vietnamese durian will face more intense competition in China's market share.
According to the Vietnam Agriculture and Agricultural Nguyen Quoc Manh, deputy director of the Planting Bureau of the Ministry of Rural Development, said that the total area of durian cultivation in Vietnam is currently about 155,000 hectares, with a total output of about 720,000 tons. The average annual productivity of commercial durian orchards per hectare is about 17 tons, and many orchards reach 25-30 tons/hectare; in the current good consumer market and high prices for many years, the income and economic benefits of durian trees are many times higher than other crops.
However, this has also led to the phenomenon of overheating of the planting area, resulting in oversupply and other consequences, affecting the productivity and quality of durian, and greatly affecting export activities. Therefore, in order to maintain the growth momentum of durian exports in 2024 and continue to make breakthroughs in 2025, the main planting areas