Vietnam's durian exports to China recover

Vietnamese durian revives, boosting exports back to China

After a period of obstacles due to China tightening inspections for banned substances such as yellow O and heavy metal cadmium, Vietnam's durian exports to the billion-people market have stabilized again.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tung, Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Director of Vina T&T Group, said that the company is regularly exporting 35-40 containers of fresh durian each month. Although it had to temporarily stop to review the process, the export output is now equivalent to the same period in 2024.

Data from the General Department of Customs shows that although durian export turnover in the first 5 months of 2025 decreased by nearly 58% compared to the same period (reaching 387 million USD), in May alone there was a strong "bounce" of 139% compared to April, in which the export volume to China increased by nearly 208%.

Fruit and vegetable export turnover surpasses thanks to durian

Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, confirmed that since May, durian exports have clearly recovered in major markets such as China (including Hong Kong), Thailand and Cambodia.

In June alone, durian exports were estimated at 350-400 million USD. This figure contributed greatly to the total export value of fruits and vegetables nationwide reaching nearly 810 million USD, up 30.9% over the previous month and 20.7% over the same period in 2024. This is also the first month in 2025 that fruit exports recorded positive growth after 5 consecutive months of decline.

Mr. Nguyen said that at this rate, in peak months like September and October, durian export turnover could reach 500-550 million USD per month, bringing exports back to normal levels like last year.

Quality control from the source and attractive price

China remains the main export market for Vietnamese durian, accounting for more than 90% of total export turnover. Since May, businesses have significantly improved their control of banned substances. Instead of purchasing and then testing, businesses now require growers and purchasing facilities to test before importing goods, helping to significantly reduce the rate of returned goods.

Currently, it is the peak durian harvest season in the Southeast and Central Highlands, two key regions with good cadmium content control, making customs clearance to China more convenient.

The current market price of durian ranges from 52,000-65,000 VND/kg for Ri6 of good quality and 25,000-30,000 VND/kg for bulk. For the Monthong variety, the good quality costs 72,000-90,000 VND/kg and bulk costs 32,000-50,000 VND/kg. This price still ensures that growers make a good profit.

However, Mr. Nguyen also commented that durian prices are unlikely to return to the "peak" of the 2023-2024 period. The reason is that the supply to the Chinese market is expanding, with the participation of Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia and Laos in addition to Thailand and Vietnam. Thailand is also increasing production sharply to compete for market share.