Durian exports set to surpass US$ 4 bln

Viet Nam's durian exports have accelerated sharply since the second quarter of the year. According to the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, durian exports reached USD 863 million in the second quarter, up 289.5% from the first quarter and 18.9% higher than in the second quarter of 2025. In the first half of the year, total durian export value reached USD 1.085 billion, nearly matching the country's export earnings for the first seven months of 2025, which totaled approximately USD 1.2 billion.

Durian exports are expected to continue to grow strongly in the coming months as the Central Highlands, which accounts for about half of Viet Nam's durian cultivation area, enters its peak harvest season.

Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Viet Nam Fruit and Vegetable Association, estimated that durian exports reached approximately USD 600-700 million in July, bringing total export value for the first seven months of the year to around USD 1.8 billion, up about 30% compared with the same period in 2025.

Nguyen forecasts that monthly durian exports could approach USD 1 billion between August and October. At that pace, Viet Nam's durian exports are well positioned to exceed the USD 4 billion mark by the end of the year.

China's demand for imported durian has remained robust this year. According to the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China, the country imported 1.07 million metric tons of durian in the first six months of 2026, an increase of nearly 300,000 metric tons compared with the same period in 2025.

Thailand remains China's largest supplier of durian. During the first half of 2026, China's imports of Thai durian were valued at USD 3.79 billion, an increase of more than USD 1 billion year over year, accounting for 81% of the country's total durian import value.

Thai durian secured its dominant market share in the first half of the year thanks to improved logistics infrastructure and effective quality control. During the peak harvest season, durians transported via the Lancang-Mekong Express cold-chain service can reach Kunming within just 26 hours and be distributed to more than 30 cities across China within 48 hours.

Industry experts believe that China's sustained demand for imported durian will continue to create significant growth opportunities for Vietnamese exporters in the second half of the year. To capitalize on this momentum, however, businesses and local authorities will need to strengthen traceability systems, tighten controls on pesticide residues, and improve post-harvest packaging and storage. Expanding the number of export-approved growing areas and packing facilities with officially registered codes that fully comply with importing market requirements will also enhance Viet Nam's competitiveness, reduce the risk of supply bottlenecks during peak harvest periods, and lay a stronger foundation for sustainable export growth in the years ahead.

Viet Nam ranked as China's second-largest supplier of durian in the first half of 2026, with exports valued at USD 846 million, accounting for 18% of the market share. Malaysia ranked third with exports worth USD 30 million.

The Import-Export Agency noted that demand from China remains the primary driver of growth for Southeast Asia's durian industry. China is currently the world's largest durian market, accounting for approximately 90% of global durian consumption. However, as exports from several supplying countries have increased rapidly, durian prices in the Chinese market have come under downward pressure.

India's recent approval of fresh durian imports from Viet Nam has also opened up new growth opportunities for the country's durian industry.

However, according to Dang Phuc Nguyen, high import tariffs remain a major obstacle for many products entering the Indian market. A wide range of Vietnamese exports continues to face import duties of 40-50%, with some products subject to tariffs as high as 70%, significantly limiting their competitiveness.

As a result, despite being the world's largest durian exporter, Thailand has shipped only limited volumes of durian to India, primarily targeting affluent consumers in a handful of major cities.

Nguyen therefore recommends that Vietnamese exporters work closely with Indian importers to fully understand the tariff provisions under the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement (AIFTA) and determine whether preferential tariff treatment is available for Vietnamese durian exports.

In addition, because durian remains relatively unfamiliar to most Indian consumers, sustained promotional campaigns, product introductions, and trade promotion activities will be essential to build consumer awareness and gradually cultivate a taste for the fruit's distinctive flavor.

Nguyen also noted that Viet Nam's success in exporting durian to China following the signing of the protocol allowing official exports was built on years of market development. Long before Vietnamese durian entered China through official channels, promotional and marketing efforts by traders from Thailand, Malaysia, and other exporting countries had already helped familiarize Chinese consumers with durian, creating a favorable market environment for subsequent suppliers.