On May 19 in the Laotian capital of Vientiane, Nanjing Qiandu Culture and Technology Co. Ltd. (南京千渡文化科技有限公司) and Eleven Gold Fruit reportedly signed a memorandum of understanding [3] regarding cooperation in the procurement and sales of Laotian durians, marking a step toward the large-scale and more standardized entry of Laotian durians into the Chinese market.

The signing ceremony was attended by multiple stakeholders, including the vice president of the Laos National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the deputy director-general of the Crop Production Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Laos, the president of the Laos Agricultural Enterprise Association, and the heads of the Chinese and Laotian companies.

The deputy director-general of the Crop Production Department emphasized the importance for strict quality control with durian exports. He implored enterprises to give their full attention to every stage from farm to table: producers must obtain good agricultural practices certification to ensure food safety for consumers, with a particular focus on the strict control of pesticide residues; in the post-harvest stage, standardized sorting facilities must be established to strictly grade durians; and all export procedures must comply with China’s stringent import requirements.

The president of Eleven Gold Fruit remarked that the signing represented a crucial and highly significant first step for both the company and durian growers across Laos. He noted that the company’s goal was to achieve exports to China within this year. He added that the company had conducted years of experience exchange and thorough preparation and, under the technical guidance of the Crop Production Department, had implemented systematic training to promote the transition of orchard management toward clean agriculture and GAP standards. He also said that the company had brought together numerous orchards that met production standards to learn from and support one another, in an effort to ensure the production of high-quality durians that meet export requirements.

In December 2025, the General Administration of Customs of China announced its phytosanitary requirements [4] for the import of fresh Laotian durians. The durian planting area in Laos currently exceeds 20,000 hectares, with most being the Monthong cultivar.

Since 2021, investors from China, Vietnam and Malaysia have successively invested in durian cultivation [5] across northern, central and southern Laos. As Laos shares a border with China and is connected by the China–Laos Railway [6], logistics and cultivation costs are lower than in Thailand. In addition, Chinese investors are helping to improve cultivation standards in Laos through new management models. If the production and quality of Laotian durians continue to improve, their large-scale entry into the Chinese market could position them as a direct competitor to Thai durians.

Image: Pixabay

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article [7].