Frozen durian exports triple

The surge was attributed to the signing of a protocol in August last year, which allowed Việt Nam to export frozen durian to China and the efforts to increase investment in processing and diversify products.

A durian garden in Đồng Tháp Province. Frozen durian is emerging to be promising as a number of enterprises have invested in processing and warehouses to meet requirements of China and potential markets including South Korea, Japan and the EU. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Văn Trí

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam’s frozen durian exports tripled in the first half of this year, driven by expanded market access and increased investment in processing, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.

Đỗ Hồng Khanh from the Plant Production and Protection Department said at the ministry’s press conference on Thursday that 388 batches of frozen durian, or 14,282 tonnes, were shipped abroad between January and June, three times higher than the same period last year.

The surge was attributed to the signing of a protocol in August last year, which allowed Việt Nam to export frozen durian to China and the efforts to increase investment in processing and diversify products, he said.

The country also shipped 5,217 batches of fresh durian, totalling nearly 130,000 tonnes in the same period. He added that China recently approved nearly 1,000 additional growing areas and packaging facilities, forecasting the export of fresh durian to recover from the third quarter. However, the recovery depends largely on compliance with safety standards.  

The export of fresh durian faced difficulties in the first half of this year as import markets tightened control over food safety, especially pesticide residues, heavy metals and banned chemicals.

Customs statistics showed that Việt Nam’s durian export totalled US$387 million in the first five months of this year, a fall by 58 per cent over the same period last year. Exports to China fell by 67 per cent to $278 million. In that context, frozen durian is emerging to be promising as a number of enterprises have invested in processing and warehouses to meet the requirements of China and potential markets including South Korea, Japan and the EU.

To boost durian exports, the ministry has ramped up efforts to enhance food safety compliance, including inviting China’s customs officials to inspect Việt Nam’s export chains scheduled from July 12 to 17. The ministry is also finalising regulations on growing areas and packing facilities. As of June, 1,396 growing area codes and 188 packaging facility codes have been granted for exports to China. Việt Nam earned $3.2 billion from exporting durian in 2024.