China buys 11 times more Vietnamese durian

A report by Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (Vinafruit), citing data from Vietnam Customs, showed that China’s durian purchase from Vietnam last year reached its highest level ever, raising Vietnam’s share on China’s durian market from 6% in 2022 to nearly 33%.

Dang Phuc Nguyen, general director of Vinafruit, said 2023 was a "victorious" year for Vietnamese durian, which is taking over part of Thai and Malaysian durian market shares in China.

Nguyen said Vietnamese durians have been dominating the Chinese market in recent months due to the locals’ demand for gifting durians during the Lunar New Year.

Prices are expected to continue rising given the limited supply during the off season, he said.

Nguyen said Vietnamese durians will, however, continue to face competition.

It now takes only a short amount of time to transport Vietnamese durians to China, around two days, compared to seven days from Thailand.

But Thailand, which holds 68% of the market share, is switching to transporting durians by express trains via Laos to reduce the time.

The Philippines has emerged as a supplier of premium quality durian by exporting nearly 100,000 tons of durian to Vietnam last year.

Also in the high-end segment, Malaysia has exported frozen durian from China since 2011, and Vietnam hopes to join this frozen fruit market this year.

China is also planning to grow its own durian in Cambodia and Indonesia, as part of a plan that is expected to show results in at least five years.