According to the General Department of Customs, Vietnam's durian exports in 2024 generated $3.21 billion, comprising nearly 45% of the fruit and vegetable industry's total value. However, the first two months of this year saw a 69.3% decline, with revenues dropping to $52.6 million. Consequently, durian fell to third place in Vietnam's fruit export rankings, contributing less than 7.7% of the total.
Dragon fruit exports also experienced a downturn, though less severe than durian. With an export value of $93.8 million, dragon fruit emerged as the leading fruit export over the past two months, accounting for nearly 13.7% of total exports.
Banana exports, ranking fourth in 2024 with $380 million and a 5.32% share, reached $71.6 million in the first two months of this year. Bananas surpassed both coconuts and durians, claiming second place in the $7 billion fruit industry. China remains Vietnam's largest banana export market, importing nearly 625,250 tons valued at approximately $261.5 million in 2024. For the first time in a decade, Vietnam has overtaken the Philippines as China's top banana supplier.
Vietnamese bananas are preferred for quality, appearance, and pricing. Companies leverage geographic proximity to reduce logistics costs compared to competitors like the Philippines and Ecuador. Besides China, Vietnam exports bananas to South Korea and Japan. Doan Nguyen Duc, Chairman of Hoang Anh Gia Lai JSC, noted that banana exports to South Korea and Japan have fixed annual prices, while prices to China are negotiated weekly. For April 7-13, the export price to China was set at $12 per box, a 10% increase from the previous week.
Source: Vietnam.net