Vietnam's durian exports to China have decreased by 74% year-on-year, totaling $130 million in the first four months of 2025. The Vietnamese government is seeking solutions to remove technical barriers affecting cross-border shipments.
Minister of Agriculture and Environment Do Duc Duy is leading efforts to align with Chinese customs to address issues hindering Vietnam's durian exports. The decline is attributed to unclear legal frameworks, inefficient quarantine procedures, and inadequate quality management systems. Additionally, the certification of codes for farms, packing facilities, and laboratory systems has not met China's rigorous standards.
To tackle these issues, Duy stressed the importance of improved cooperation with Chinese authorities to remove technical roadblocks. The issuance of codes for farms and packing facilities needs to be expedited, and quarantine processes must be revamped to boost exports and adapt plans according to market demands.
Duy also proposed a comprehensive overhaul of the legal structures governing agricultural exports and an enhancement of technical standards throughout the supply chain, from cultivation and harvesting to processing and export. He highlighted the urgency of restructuring the durian industry towards sustainability.
Moreover, Duy suggested developing value-added durian products, such as frozen variations, to increase value and reduce reliance on fresh fruit exports.
Amid these challenges, Vietnam's total exports of fruits and vegetables reached $1.62 billion during the same period, a 14% decrease from the previous year. Domestically, durian prices have fallen to around VND35,000–40,000 (approximately $1.35–$1.54) per kilogram at the farm level, a third of the previous year's prices.
Source: Retail News Asia
