China’s Fresh Durian Imports Drop by One-Third

In the first five months of this year, China’s fresh durian imports fell sharply by nearly one-third, with Vietnamese durians experiencing the most significant drop. This decline was primarily attributable to China Customs tightening inspections after detecting the heavy metal cadmium and the dye auramine O in shipments from Thailand and Vietnam.

According to official customs data for January to May, China’s fresh durian imports plummeted to 390,900 metric tons from 582,300 metric tons in 2024, representing a year-on-year decrease of 32.9%. Over the same period, the import value declined by 32.5%, falling from $2.86 billion to $1.93 billion.

Among fresh durian exporters to China, Vietnam was the hardest hit, with both its export volume and value plunging by 61.6% year on year. Thailand remained China’s largest supplier of fresh durians, although its export volume and value also shrank by 21.8% and 24.0%, respectively.

According to industry insiders in Vietnam, many regions of the country are short of local laboratories capable of testing for cadmium and auramine O, significantly affecting export efficiency. Meanwhile, Thailand has made notable progress in facilitating laboratory testing and restoring confidence among Chinese consumers, helping to mitigate the impact on its exports.

While durian imports have declined sharply, domestically grown durians from Hainan are gradually gaining traction. This year marks the third season of large-scale fruiting and market availability for durians from Sanya. The first batch of tree-ripened durians was harvested in late June, with a larger volume expected to reach the market during the second half of July.

In recent years, the survival rate of durian trees in Hainan has increased from 30% to over 90%. The province now cultivates durians across approximately 2,660 hectares. In addition to expanding planting areas, local research teams have been actively improving cultivation techniques and developing varieties tailored to Hainan’s growing conditions.

Image: iStock

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article.