China spends 5 times more money to buy vegetables and fruits, trucks carrying durian are crowded at the border gate

Preliminary statistics from the General Department of Customs show that last May, fruit and vegetable exports helped Vietnam earn 656.2 million USD, up 67.7% compared to April 2023. By the end of May 2023, the export turnover of this group of goods reached nearly 2.03 billion USD, up 42.9% over the same period last year.

Vegetables and fruits are the export items that recorded the strongest growth in the agricultural sector in May and the first five months of 2023.

China is still the number 1 customer, accounting for 63.4% of the total export turnover of Vietnamese vegetables and fruits in the first 5 months of this year (the same period in 2022 accounted for 50.6%).

Chart: Vietnamnet

Notably, in May 2023 alone, China spent nearly 483 million USD to buy vegetables and fruits from our country, a sudden increase, nearly 5 times higher than in May 2022.

By the end of May this year, fruit and vegetable exports to the Chinese market reached about 1.29 million USD, an increase of 78.6% over the same period last year.

At the end of May, the Department of Industry and Trade of Lang Son province had to send a dispatch stating that the number of vehicles carrying goods to the Huu Nghi International Border Gate area had increased dramatically due to the harvest season of Vietnamese durian exports. However, this item can only be exported through the international border gate, causing the congestion to recur.

Talking with PV. VietNamNet,Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen - General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, affirmed that in the next few months, the export turnover of fruits and vegetables to the Chinese market will maintain strong growth.

Durian, a product that is extremely popular with Chinese buyers, is in its peak harvest season in Vietnam. Recently, the Chinese Customs has approved more growing area codes, helping to significantly increase the export quota of durian to this market.

In addition, items such as dragon fruit, bananas, jackfruit, lychees, etc. are also in harvest season. The main export market for these fruits is China.

Lychee exports to China are expected to increase sharply during the harvest season. Photo: Thach Thao

Especially lychee, last year due to the Covid-19 epidemic, the export of this specialty fruit to the Chinese market decreased significantly. This year, many Chinese traders came to our country to buy lychee.

“This year's Chinese lychee season is almost over, so lychee export turnover to this market is expected to increase sharply,” said Mr. Nguyen.

Talking to the press about the story of exporting agricultural products to the Chinese market, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam said that in late May and early June, when working with Guangxi and Yunnan provinces (China), hundreds of enterprises from this country participated in the promotion conference. They all appreciated the quality of Vietnamese agricultural products, wanted to learn and connect to facilitate exchange and purchase.

Wherever he goes in China, businesses mention durian and praise its good quality and delicious products, he said.

However, the infrastructure of the border gates is overloaded. Guangxi shares borders with 4 provinces of Vietnam with 9 pairs of border gates, but only 6 of them are used for the export and import of vegetables and fruits. Deputy Minister Nam proposed that Nanning Customs (China) consider expanding the scale to all 9 pairs of border gates, reducing pressure on traditional border gates, avoiding congestion and reducing costs.

With China's current "buying" speed, the leader of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association predicts that export turnover to this market could reach 2.5 billion in 2023. And if Chinese Customs approves more codes for durian growing areas in Vietnam, the turnover could exceed even more.