Malaysia increased imports of durian from Vietnam during the first 11 months of 2025, despite being a major durian producer itself. Customs data show Malaysia imported US$2.6 million worth of Vietnamese durian over the period, representing a fivefold increase compared with the previous year. This made Malaysia the fastest-growing destination market for Vietnamese durian during that timeframe, although it still accounted for a small share of total exports.
The second-largest increase in Vietnamese durian exports was recorded to Hong Kong, where shipments doubled to US$47 million. Unlike Malaysia, Hong Kong does not produce durian and relies entirely on imports to supply domestic demand.
Dang Phuc Nguyen, secretary general of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said Malaysia typically imports Vietnamese durian to compensate for supply gaps outside its main domestic harvest season. "Malaysia usually imports Vietnamese durian to make up for a shortfall outside May-August, its main harvest period," he said, adding that Hong Kong imports due to the absence of local production.
Across all markets, Vietnam's durian exports continued to expand during most of the year. In the first 11 months of 2025, total durian export value rose 17% year on year to US$3.65 billion. The majority of these volumes were shipped to China, which remains Vietnam's dominant export destination for durian.
However, export performance weakened toward the end of the period. In November, shipments declined sharply as China and another leading market, Thailand, reduced their durian imports. This drop highlighted the extent to which Vietnam's durian export sector remains dependent on a limited number of destination markets and is sensitive to changes in import demand.
The contrasting developments across Asian markets reflect differing production calendars and import requirements, with Vietnam continuing to supply durian during periods when other producing countries experience seasonal gaps or reduced availability.
Source: VNExpress
