Fruit and vegetable exports on track for USD 10 billion target

On January 23, the Viet Nam Fruit and Vegetable Association (Vinafruit) held its 2025 year-end ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City. At the event, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tung, Vice Chairman of Vinafruit, stated that 2025 marked a new milestone for Viet Nam's fruit and vegetable exports, with export turnover reaching USD 8.56 billion, up nearly 20% compared to 2024.

In 2025, Viet Nam's fruit and vegetable export market structure underwent positive shifts, moving toward both consolidating its position in traditional markets and making strong breakthroughs in demanding markets.

China continued to be the largest market for Viet Nam's fruit and vegetable exports, with export turnover reaching over USD 5.5 billion. According to Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, Secretary General of Vinafruit, Viet Nam, with strong growth momentum, rose to second place among fruit and vegetable exporters to the Chinese market in 2025, after Thailand.

Over the past year, demanding markets such as the U.S., South Korea, and Japan also recorded outstanding increases in export turnover. This reflects the continuous improvement of the quality of Vietnamese fruit and vegetables.

Exports to the EU market posted impressive growth, up around 58% compared to 2024, largely due to the effective utilization of tariff preferences. The main gateway for Viet Nam’s fruit and vegetable exports to the EU is the Netherlands, accounting for more than 33% of total export value to the bloc, followed by Germany and France. Key products exported to the EU include processed fruits and vegetables, fruit juices, and specialty fruits certified under organic standards or GlobalGAP.

Exports to other potential markets, typically Australia, also saw growth and are expected to become high value-added markets in the near future. In terms of product structure, 2025 witnessed a strong shift toward reducing dependence on traditional products and moving toward diversification into higher value-added items.

Durian exports remained at No. 1, with turnover reaching USD 3.86 billion, accounting for 45% of total fruit and vegetable export value. This growth was driven by the expansion of planting area codes and official exports to China, as well as deeper penetration into high value-added markets such as the U.S. and the EU.

Durian exports were followed by coconut exports, both fresh and processed products. The signing of the protocol on fresh coconut exports to China provided a significant boost to this product. Dragon fruit exports, despite facing intense competition, remained among the leading export items thanks to a shift toward markets such as India and the Middle East.

Exports of other fruits, including mango, pomelo, passion fruit, and longan, recorded stable growth. In particular, passion fruit accounted for a significant share, around 25%, in the product structure exported to the EU market.

Entering 2026, despite many difficulties and challenges, fruit and vegetable exports are expected to maintain positive growth momentum. According to Vinafruit, in the first month of this year, fruit and vegetable exports are estimated at USD 600 million, up 60% compared to the same period in 2025.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tung noted that with the growth momentum achieved in 2025, along with the Government's attention on creating favorable conditions to promote double-digit growth for the overall economy, fruit and vegetable export turnover this year could reach USD 9.5 billion-10 billion.

Speaking at the year-end ceremony, Mr. Huynh Tan Dat, Director General of the Plant Production and Protection Department, emphasized that the export target the fruit and vegetable sector is aiming for will be an extremely important milestone. Achieving this goal would not only help stabilize production and markets but also reinforce confidence in Vietnamese fruits and vegetables.