Vietnam's Durian Dominance in China

In September, China imported 228,000 tons of durian, spending $894.58 million. Vietnam accounted for a significant 77.6% of this import, according to data from China's General Administration of Customs, as reported by Thanh Nien newspaper.

Despite Thailand's lead in the first nine months, exporting nearly 755,000 tons worth $3.73 billion and accounting for 54.7%, these figures represented year-on-year declines of 14.1% in volume and 13.3%, as reported by Dan tri online newspaper.

During the same period, Vietnam shipped 618,000 tons worth $2.45 billion, marking a 72.2% increase in volume and 57.3% in value.

Vietnam's Strategic Advantages

Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, explained that Vietnam typically has an edge over Thailand around year-end when it has off-season durian to export to China, unlike Thailand, whose harvest ends well before that.

He also noted that Chinese demand rises at that time as consumers ramp up purchases for the year-end holidays and the Lunar New Year. Vietnam's transport advantages, such as road and rail links with China, help its exporters save time and costs.

Thailand's Digital Initiative

In response to the competition, Thailand's Digital Economy Promotion Agency launched a project called One Tambon, One Digital. This initiative aims to enhance durian farmers' productivity, strengthen consumer trust in Thai durians, and promote high-value products on a global scale, particularly amid competition from China and nearby nations, as reported by the Bangkok Post.

The initiative will help over 6,100 farming households adopt digital platforms to record cultivation data and train 12,200 farmers in 23 provinces in e-commerce and Good Agricultural Practices, which is required to export durian.

Thailand has 163,200 hectares under durian, producing 1.53 million tons annually. Durian accounted for 69% of its fruit exports in 2023, with China being the primary export market.

Vietnam shipped 500,000 tons of durian worth $2.3 billion that year, with 90% going to China. It has 154,000 ha under the fruit and an output of 1.2 million tons.

Vietnam previously surpassed Thailand in durian exports to China earlier this year, shipping 32,750 tons in the first two months of 2024. Thailand's exports in the same period plunged by half to 19,000 tons.