Vietnam's durian exports to China increased by about 17% in 2025, supported by the resolution of earlier phytosanitary issues and changing competitive dynamics among regional suppliers. According to Chinese customs data cited by the South China Morning Post, Vietnam shipped durians worth US$3.44 billion to China last year, up from US$2.94 billion in 2024.
Thailand remained China's largest durian supplier, exporting about US$4 billion in 2025. However, its shipments were broadly flat between 2024 and 2025, resulting in a decline in relative market share. Analysts point to Vietnam's improved compliance with Chinese phytosanitary standards and logistical advantages linked to its land border with China and established transport infrastructure.
Vietnam and China worked together to address quality and safety concerns, with Chinese buyers visiting Vietnam to advise growers on production and quality practices, according to Nguyen Thanh Trung, a political scientist at Fulbright University Vietnam. "I think Vietnam can overcome Thailand in terms of quantity and maybe quality."
Vietnam's share of China's durian imports has risen from zero to more than 40% within three years of formally entering the market in 2020, according to reporting by Thai newspaper The Nation. This growth has also affected other Southeast Asian suppliers, including Malaysia and Indonesia.
China accounts for more than 90% of global durian imports. The fruit is widely consumed and also used as a gift during formal occasions. A single durian weighing six kilograms can sell for up to US$28.76.
Vietnam received approval to export fresh durians to China in 2022. In early 2025, China's General Administration of Customs identified unsafe levels of alkaline yellow and cadmium in some Vietnamese shipments, leading to tighter inspections. Despite these controls, trade volumes continued to rise over the year.
Analysts note that Vietnam benefits from structural advantages, including a growing network of growers, traders, storage facilities, and transport links, as well as its 1,280-kilometre border with China. This proximity reduces transport time and costs compared with suppliers such as Thailand, which rely on longer shipping routes.
Shorter transport routes help limit logistics costs and maintain fruit condition, said Lim Chin Khee, an adviser to the Durian Academy in Malaysia. He added that demand in China remained stable as Vietnamese durians offered a "good balance of price and availability" compared with fruit from Thailand and Malaysia.
"Vietnam had already built significant export momentum before the inspection issues surfaced," Lim said. "China approved a large number of Vietnamese orchards and packing houses in earlier years, which allowed exports to scale quickly. That expansion continued to feed into total export value even when inspections tightened temporarily," he added.
Source: VNExpress
