A two-tonne consignment was delivered over the weekend using air cold chain logistics in just four hours, enabling Chinese consumers to savor the fruit as if it were freshly picked, according to a Monday statement on the Chinese embassy in Cambodia’s official WeChat account, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
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Durians on display at a grocery store in Guangzhou, China, on May 8, 2025. Photo by NurPhoto via AFP |
This followed a shipment of 17 tonnes in July after passing inspection and quality certification.
Durian is now the fifth fresh fruit permitted for direct export from Cambodia to China, following bananas, mangoes, longans, and coconuts.
In Cambodia, durians are cultivated on over 11,000 hectares, with the country’s annual production surpassing 120,000 tonnes, according to the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture.
112 orchards and 30 packaging facilities in Cambodia have been certified by China Customs, according to Khmer Times.
Since 2002, China has expanded market access to more countries exporting durians, a strategy often dubbed “durian diplomacy.”
It is the world’s largest consumer market for the thorny delicacy, importing nearly $7 billion worth of the fruit last year.
Thailand accounted for $4 billion, or 57% of the market, and Vietnam supplied $2.9 billion for a 41.5% share.
China also imports the fruit from Malaysia, Cambodia, and the Philippines.
Cambodia remains marginal as a durian supplier to China.
“Its production is too small to compete with Thailand or Vietnam. This is more of a friendly diplomatic gesture,” remarked Huang Dapeng, a fruit importer from China’s eastern province of Zhejiang. “The price and supply offer no real advantage, so I have no plan to import for now.”
China, however, has been importing less durian this year as the country imposes tighter inspections on the fruit to prevent banned substances.
Official customs data shows a nearly 15% year-on-year decline to 708,190 tonnes in the first half of the year.
