Exports of durian plunged 58% year-on-year in the first five months to $386 million, with its share of fruit and vegetable exports falling from 35% at the beginning of the year to 17%, according to Vietnam Customs.
There was a steep fall in exports to China, which accounts for an overwhelming share of Vietnam’s durian exports. They fell to $278 million, down 67% year-on-year.
With durian being a cornerstone of Vietnam’s agricultural exports, this reduced overall fruit and vegetable exports in the first five months by 13.5% to $2.3 billion.
Exporters face stricter screening in China.
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A farmer loads freshly harvested durians into a cart at a durian orchard in Dak Lak province, Vietnam, in September 2023. Photo by Xinhua via AFP |
Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said: “China has intensified checks for heavy metal residues, plant quarantine and fraudulent growing area codes, making customs clearance more challenging.”
As a result, many businesses limit exports to small batches and avoid large contracts due to spoilage fears.
Some companies have stopped exports entirely to focus on documentation and compliance procedures.
To address these issues, Nguyen proposed establishing mini testing labs for banned substances at growing areas like Thailand has started doing.
“Fruits should be tested at farms and be given compliance certificates. They then can be verified by China-approved labs before being exported.”
This process would enable smoother customs clearance, he added.
Hoan Vu Inspection, a China-approved company for quality testing, called for controlling illegal fertilizers and issuing cultivation guidelines.
Soil contaminated with heavy metals must be remediated to ensure sustainable farming practices, it added.
At a meeting May 28 between officials of Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and China’s General Administration of Customs, the two sides agreed to extend working hours at customs and deploy additional staff at border gates to alleviate congestion.
China also expanded its approved list by adding 829 growing areas and 131 packing facilities in Vietnam for durian exports.
Agriculture minister Do Duc Duy highlighted this as “a significant technical step and encouragement for businesses and farmers.”
Vietnam proposed three key cooperation measures: amending food safety policies to ease trade, accelerating customs clearance and approving additional labs equipped to test for cadmium and other substances.
Vietnam also submitted a detailed report showcasing its efforts to strengthen oversight of the production, processing and export supply chain.
