China buys nearly $1B worth of Vietnamese durian in September

This marked the third consecutive month that China has sharply increased purchases of Vietnamese durian following a slowdown due to tightened quality inspections, according to Vietnam Customs.

A farmer harvests durians in Dong Thap Province, southern Vietnam. Photo by VnExpress/Hoang Nam

In the first nine months, China maintained its position as the dominant importer of Vietnamese durian, buying $2.59 billion of the total $2.8 billion.

Vietnamese durian exports have begun expanding to several new markets.

Exports to Hong Kong jumped 84% to $42.8 million, and shipment to Taiwan went up 65% to $32 million.

Growths of 45% and 37% were recorded in Papua New Guinea and the U.S., respectively.

Malaysia stood out with exports jumping 650%, although it remains a small market.

In contrast, exports to Thailand, once a major transit market, dropped 75% to $33.9 million, reducing its market share from 4.7% to 1.2%.

Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said that after a year of explosive growth, Vietnamese durian has entered a phase of quality competition and process standardization.

If Vietnam continues to expand certified growing areas and invest in processing, it can maintain its leading position in the region, aiming to reach the $3.5 billion milestone in exports this year.

However, export activities still face risks as some domestic quality testing laboratories have temporarily suspended operations for maintenance, disrupting sampling and certification for shipments to China.

The government has directed relevant agencies to clarify the causes, accelerate licensing, and strengthen oversight to restore testing capacity and prevent goods backlog.

Vietnam currently has 24 testing laboratories approved by China, with a capacity of about 3,200 samples per day.