Vietnam increased its durian exports to China in 2025 after resolving earlier phytosanitary issues, supported by geographic proximity and established cross-border logistics.
According to Chinese customs data, Vietnam exported US$3.44 billion worth of durians to China in 2025, up from US$2.94 billion the previous year, representing an increase of about US$500 million. Thailand remained the largest supplier, but its exports to China were largely flat year on year, at just under US$4 billion in 2025.
Analysts attributed Vietnam's higher shipments to closer coordination with Chinese authorities and operational advantages linked to transport distance and infrastructure. Vietnamese and Chinese agencies worked together to address phytosanitary concerns, and Chinese buyers visited Vietnam to advise on quality improvements, Vietnamese media reported.
Nguyen Thanh Trung, a political scientist at Fulbright University Vietnam, said Vietnam's position has strengthened. "I think Vietnam can overcome Thailand in terms of quantity and maybe quality," he said.
China continues to absorb more than 90 per cent of global durian exports. The fruit is widely consumed and commonly used as a gift for formal occasions. Retail prices in China can reach up to 200 yuan, or about US$29, for a single durian weighing around 6 kilograms.
Competition to supply the Chinese market has intensified across Southeast Asia. Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, and the Philippines also export durians to China, though in smaller volumes than Vietnam and Thailand.
Vietnam received approval to export fresh durians to China in 2022. In early 2025, China's General Administration of Customs intensified inspections after detecting elevated levels of alkaline yellow and cadmium in some Vietnamese consignments. Despite the tighter checks, exports continued as approved orchards and packing facilities remained active.
Vietnam's land border with China, measuring about 1,280 kilometres, supports shorter transit times compared with other suppliers. Thailand does not share a land border with China and relies more heavily on longer transport routes.
Lim Chin Khee, an adviser to the Malaysia-based Durian Academy, said Vietnam's logistics structure helps lower costs. He noted that demand remained steady even during stricter inspections because Vietnamese durians offered a "good balance of price and availability" relative to supplies 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."
Source: myNews
