Thailand Becomes Vietnam’s Second Largest Durian Importer in Early 2024
Hanoi, The Gulf Observer: Thailand, the world’s largest durian exporter with an annual export turnover of US$7 billion, has emerged as the second largest importer of Vietnamese durian in the first four months of 2024. During this period, Thailand imported durian worth $22.5 million from Vietnam, marking an 82 percent year-on-year increase. This amount significantly surpasses the $3.6 million worth of durian imported by Hong Kong, which now ranks third. In 2023, Hong Kong was the second largest importer with a turnover of $20 million, followed by Taiwan with $16 million.
Đặng Phúc Nguyên, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (Vinafruit), attributed the rise in Thailand’s imports to a recent period when Vietnam was the sole supplier of durian worldwide. Despite Thailand’s status as the top durian exporter, its domestic production has been severely impacted by drought, leading to a significant decline in both quantity and quality. Consequently, Thailand has had to import durians to meet domestic demand and cater to tourists.
Vinafruit Chairman Nguyễn Thanh Bình highlighted that while China remains the largest importer of Vietnamese fresh durian, Thailand is the top importer of Vietnamese frozen durian due to competitive pricing. He noted that although some of the imported frozen durian is used for processing, the majority is re-exported to third countries, primarily China. Currently, Vietnam cannot export frozen durian directly to China, while Thailand benefits from a protocol agreement with China on this matter.
The Vietnamese business community is eagerly anticipating the early signing of a similar protocol between Vietnam and China, which would allow direct exports of frozen durian to China, benefiting both Vietnamese farmers and Chinese consumers.
In April 2024, Vietnam’s durian exports reached $217 million, representing a staggering 487 percent increase compared to the same period last year. The total export value for the first four months of 2024 amounted to $470 million, a 146 percent year-on-year rise, with China accounting for 92 percent of the market share.
