Vietnamese pomelos ready for shipment to Australia in multiple containers

Speaking about Vietnam’s upcoming pomelo exports to Australia, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tung, General Director of Vina T&T, expressed great enthusiasm. He shared that since the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry confirmed that Vietnamese pomelos are eligible for import, provided they meet all pest control and phytosanitary requirements, most of Vina T&T’s Australian customers and partners have shown strong interest in the fruit and begun placing orders.

In response to these orders, Vina T&T has been working intensively to prepare shipments of green skin pomelos for export to Australia. As soon as Vietnamese pomelos are officially cleared for export, the company plans to immediately ship four 40-foot containers of green skin pomelos to the Australian market.

Assessing the potential of the Australian market, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tung, General Director of Vina T&T, said that gaining official approval to export pomelos to Australia will open up numerous opportunities for Vietnamese pomelos in this market.

He explained that although Australia is well known for producing a wide range of fruits, including many citrus varieties such as oranges and mandarins, the country hardly grows pomelos. This presents a favorable condition for Vietnamese pomelos to penetrate and establish a foothold in the market.

Vietnam’s green skin pomelo, in particular, has long been favored by consumers in many countries for its mild sweetness and lack of bitterness compared to other pomelo varieties. As a distinctive Vietnamese fruit, green skin pomelo has strong competitive potential in the global market, including in Australia.

Previously, when exported to New Zealand, a market similar to Australia, Vietnamese pomelos successfully built a solid presence and positive reputation among consumers.

Given these advantages as a tropical fruit, Mr. Tung believes that Vietnamese pomelos have even greater market potential in Australia than passion fruit, which officially entered the market in September 2024, since passion fruit from Vietnam faces much tougher competition from varieties grown in temperate countries.

According to Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruits and Vegetables Association (Vinafruit), given Australia’s relatively small population and its vast territory, this market is not considered a major destination for Vietnamese pomelos in terms of scale, especially compared with the acreage and production volume of pomelos in Vietnam.

However, gaining access to the Australian market carries significant positive implications—first and foremost, it provides another export destination for Vietnamese pomelos.

In addition, exporting pomelos to Australia will help boost Vietnam’s overall fruit and vegetable export value to this market, thereby contributing to narrowing the trade gap in the fruit and vegetable sector between the two countries, which currently favors Australia. In 2024, Vietnam imported fruits and vegetables from Australia worth USD 151 million, while exports from Vietnam to Australia reached USD 111 million.

Australia has emerged as one of Vietnam’s fastest-growing markets for fruit and vegetable exports. In the first eight months of this year, Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports to Australia reached USD 89 million - a 28% increase compared to the same period last year. Australia is now Vietnam’s sixth-largest export market for fruits and vegetables, following China, the United States, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the Netherlands.

Vietnam’s pomelo exports, in particular, have shown strong growth this year. According to data from Vietnam Customs, in the first eight months of 2025, pomelo exports reached USD 52 million - up 28% from the same period in 2024. With this performance, pomelo ranks among the top 10 fruit exports with the highest export value.