Last year, Vietnam’s durian exports to the Chinese market reached about 3.3 billion USD. This product was the highest-valued export item in the fruit category. However, durian exports are now facing many serious challenges right from the beginning of this season.
Durian exports to China, the main consumer market, have sharply declined, causing the prices of durian in the growing regions to also go down. This is happening as Vietnam enters the main harvest season (from April to September) with an estimated production of millions of tons, making the output for this product a challenging problem.
The core reason for the decline in durian exports is that the Chinese Customs has tightened the inspection of Auramine O and heavy metals on 100% of durian shipments imported from all countries. The strict measure was implemented after Thai durians were found to contain Auramine O at the end of last year. According to Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, this has caused significant difficulties.
Durian exports to China have declined.
Many large exporting companies admit that they have had to temporarily stop durian exports to China for nearly half a year. The Director of a large fruit export company said that in 2024, his company exported several thousand containers of durian, but in the past six months, they have not been able to export any batches due to the 100% inspection of shipments at the border. Customers of Vietnamese enterprises are large supermarket chains in China, which have very strict regulations on food safety. Therefore, businesses have to temporarily stop exports to standardize processes and complete procedures to ensure smooth customs clearance.
The situation of good preparation this year is completely opposite to last year. Mr. Nguyen Van Manh, a trader in Can Tho, said that last year he mainly collected goods for export; even with high prices, he couldn’t gather enough some time. This year, due to difficulties in exports, he is only collecting goods for domestic consumption.
The most noticeable consequence is the decline in export value and volume. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment estimated that in the first four months of 2025, Vietnam only exported 35,000 tons of durian, with a turnover of 120-130 million USD.
Meanwhile, during the same period in 2024, the export of durian to China alone reached 79,300 tons, worth nearly 370 million USD. In the first two months of 2025, the export value of durian to China decreased sharply by 83% compared to the same period last year, reaching only 27 million USD. The market share of Vietnamese durian in China decreased from 62% to 37%.
Currently, Thailand accounts for 57% of China’s total durian imports, followed by Vietnam with 38%. Cambodia has just stepped in, while Indonesia is also preparing to export, and Laos has started exploring the market.