Vietnamese fruit expands foothold in Chinese market

VIETNAM: NEW ERA

Vietnamese fruit expands foothold in Chinese market
Thanks to its strategic location bordering Vietnam and other ASEAN countries, Guangxi remains a major gateway for tropical fruit entering China. Chinese media have also identified Vietnamese lychees as one of the country's favourite seasonal fruits.
Vietnamese durian is promoted at an event in Beijing. (Photo: VNA)

Beijing (VNA) – Vietnamese fruit is gaining a stronger foothold in China as rising consumer demand, improved cross-border logistics and trade facilitation measures continue to boost exports, Chinese media have reported.

The Economic Daily said imported fruit from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including durian, mangosteen and particularly Vietnamese lychees, has become increasingly popular at wholesale markets and fruit retailers in Nanning, capital of China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, during the summer season. Monthong durian is currently retailing at 20–25 RMB (about 3–3.7 USD) per 500g, while mangosteen sells for 13–16 RMB per 500g.

Thanks to its strategic location bordering Vietnam and other ASEAN countries, Guangxi remains a major gateway for tropical fruit entering China. Official data cited by the newspaper show that one in every two imported durians sold in China is cleared through Guangxi's border checkpoints. Chinese media have also identified Vietnamese lychees as one of the country's favourite seasonal fruits. Together with durian, dragon fruit, bananas and other tropical produce, Vietnamese fruit is enriching supplies for China's 1.4-billion-strong consumer market.

According to Zhu Yanling, Deputy Director General of the Guangxi Department of Commerce, fruit imports from ASEAN through Guangxi exceeded 40 billion RMB (around 5.9 billion USD) in 2025, an increase of 20% year-on-year, accounting for more than one-third of China's total fruit imports from ASEAN. In the first five months of 2026, the region imported 1.25 million tonnes of fruit from ASEAN, up 13.5% compared with the same period last year.

Chinese media noted that the upgrading of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (ACFTA) to Version 3.0, coupled with the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), is injecting fresh momentum into agricultural trade between China and ASEAN, with Vietnam playing an increasingly important role as a supplier.

To support growing trade flows, Guangxi has expanded infrastructure at the Youyi Guan border gate, Qinzhou Port and Nanning Wuxu International Airport, while establishing 12 monitoring points for fruit imports across road, sea, rail and air routes. Nanning Customs has also rolled out a dedicated "green lane" and smart quarantine procedures for imported fruit, cutting customs clearance times by around 40%.

At the same time, the region has strengthened its cold-chain logistics network through dedicated refrigerated freight services, refrigerated containers and modern cold-storage facilities, helping reduce transport times, minimise spoilage and maintain fruit quality.

Chinese media said ongoing improvements in logistics, customs efficiency and trade promotion are expected to further expand the market share of Vietnamese fruit in China, providing fresh momentum for agricultural trade between the two neighbouring countries./.

VNA

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