Dragon fruit, banana, and durian exports aim for US$2 billion in 2023

Fruit and vegetable exports recorded positive signals in the early part of the year, reaching US$300 million in January, up 3% on-year.

This promises to be a great help to the sector in terms of realising its goal of US$4 billion in revenue this year, an annual surge of 20%.  

This can be attributed to China’s re-opening in early January, as well as its increasing import of fruit and vegetables from the Vietnamese market and the efforts of local exporters to maintain orders with partners in the United States, the EU, and Japan.

During the fourth quarter of 2022, the export volume of durian soared sharply, hitting US$421 million, up 137% from the same period from last year.

The export of bananas also recorded strong growth, reaching US$311 million last year, up 34.5%.

In line with this, trade of goods at border gates between the nation and China has become bustling. As many as 220,000 tonnes of fruits were exported to the northern neighbour via border gates in the northern province of Lang Son from January 1 to February 13, a hike of 40% on-year.

According to Nguyen Thanh Binh, president of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, this year represents an optimistic year for the nation’s fruit and vegetables export industry, especially durian.

China remains the largest importer in Vietnamese durian among other key markets, including Australia, the US, Japan, and Taiwan (China). 

Banana exports are also expected to exceed US$300 million thanks to a protocol signed with China in November, 2022.

Vietnam is the second biggest exporter of bananas to the Chinese market after the Philippines, with China annually spending more than US$1 billion on importing bananas from the Southeast Asian nation.