According to a recent report [3] by online newspaper VnExpress, China imported approximately $2.16 billion worth of fruits and vegetables from Vietnam in the first half of this year, up 19.3% from the same period in 2025. Vietnam remained China’s third-largest fruit and vegetable supplier, behind only Thailand ($5.08 billion) and Chile ($2.28 billion).

Notably, Vietnam’s share of the Chinese market increased from approximately 13.8% in the first half of 2025 to nearly 15.8% during the same period of this year. The gap with Chile, which ranked second with a 16.7% market share, has now narrowed to less than one percentage point.

This sharp increase in Vietnamese fruit and vegetable exports to China has been driven by greater supply and an optimized product mix, with durians [4] serving as the biggest growth driver. In the first half of this year, China imported nearly $988 million worth of fresh and frozen durians from Vietnam, up by 43.4% from the same period of last year. Durians alone accounted for nearly half of Vietnam’s total fruit and vegetable export value to China. Meanwhile, the export values for mangos, dragon fruit and bananas declined, while coconut exports rose sharply.

Another key factor is Vietnam’s geographic proximity to China. Dang Phuc Nguyen, secretary general of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said that Vietnamese fresh fruits and vegetables can reach China more quickly because of the shorter distance, helping maintain product quality while keeping logistics costs lower than those for many other suppliers in Southeast Asia and South America.

This advantage is particularly important for fresh fruits, whose quality is highly dependent on fast transportation. As the demand for tropical fruits in China expands beyond first- and second-tier cities to third-tier cities as well as northern and western provinces, Vietnam’s geographic proximity to major markets provides further opportunities for growth.

China’s approval of multiple Vietnamese fruit items for import has also created favorable conditions for companies to expand their cultivation and production capacity. However, China is also tightening its requirements for imported products. Nguyen said that China is strengthening oversight at every stage, from company and orchard registration codes to packing facilities. Violations [5] such as falsifying certificates of origin, using another orchard’s registration code or failing to comply with pest-control requirements could result in a registration code being suspended or revoked, directly affecting the export capacity of the entire production area.

Companies therefore need to effectively manage their growing areas, strengthen food safety [6] and traceability systems, and maintain close relationships with growers and cooperatives to ensure a stable supply. Product diversification can also help reduce Vietnam’s reliance on a single commodity. Beyond durians, coconuts [7] and processed coconut products are creating new opportunities for growth in Vietnam.

Image: Pixabay

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article [8].