According to statistics from the Customs Department, in May, Vietnam’s mango exports reached 41.1 million USD, an increase of 15.5% compared to May 2024. In the first five months of the year, Vietnam earned over 212 million USD, an increase of 10.5% compared to the same period. The export market share has sharply increased to 9.23%.
Currently, mangoes rank among the top 10 largest exported fruits and vegetables from Vietnam. Notably, Vietnamese mangoes account for up to 97% of the mango import in China, far surpassing competitors such as Peru, Australia, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Thailand. Besides China, Vietnamese mangoes are present in more than 30 countries, including demanding markets such as the United States, Japan, South Korea, and the Netherlands.
Experts said that one of the outstanding advantages of Vietnamese mangoes is their competitive price. The average export price of Vietnamese mangoes is only about 700 USD per ton (about over 18,000 VND/kg), equivalent to Cambodia and significantly lower than countries like Thailand, Peru, Australia, or the Philippines. This attractive price largely comes from low logistics costs and a short distance to China.
Mango from Vietnam is very famous in China for its quality and price.
The Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association evaluates mangoes as attractive due to their stable quality, affordable prices, flexible harvest, high yield, and low labor costs. Especially, specialty mango varieties like Hoa Loc and Cat Chu have a sweet flavor that is very suitable for the taste of Chinese consumers.
Mr. Daniel J. Kritenbrink, former U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, once shared about his first experience tasting mangoes in Can Tho City in 2018. “That was the best mango I have ever eaten.” “It can be said that this mango is one of the best in the world,” Mr. Daniel expressed.
Recently, the demand for mangoes in China has rapidly increased, as consumers increasingly favor tropical fruits. At the same time, China often faces supply shortages during the off-season, making imported mangoes an important supplement to stabilize the domestic market.
Vietnam currently produces about one million tons of mangoes each year, not only exporting to China but also conquering many demanding markets such as the United States, Japan, South Korea, and the Netherlands.
Notably, nearly 2,000 hectares of mangoes in the Mekong Delta have been certified with VietGAP and GlobalGAP, meeting the strict standards from China. Additionally, Vietnam has an advantage in producing off-season mangoes, which helps to take advantage of the period when China experiences a shortage of supply (from September last year to March this year). At this time, the price of grade 1 mangoes can reach 100,000 VND/kg.
However, starting in May, when domestic Chinese mangoes enter their main season, the demand for importing Vietnamese mangoes sharply decreases. This has caused prices to drop, even to just a few thousand dong per kilogram.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment aims that by 2030, the country will have about 140,000 hectares of mangoes, with a production of 1.5 million tons and an export turnover of 650 million USD.