VINAGRI News - After a puzzling slowdown in the early months of 2025, Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports are regaining strong momentum. Even durian - the so-called “king of fruits” - faced bottlenecks in the Chinese market earlier this year, dragging down the sector’s overall performance. However, beginning in July, export activities suddenly accelerated, putting the industry on track to potentially surpass $8 billion in export revenue by year’s end - a new record and far beyond last year’s results.
According to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (Vinafruit), based on preliminary customs data, total export value in the first nine months of 2025 is estimated at over $6.1 billion, up 8.3% year-on-year. Particularly in September, export turnover reached nearly $1.3 billion, up 41% from the same period last year - marking the first rebound after months of decline and setting a historic monthly record.
Vinafruit Secretary - General Mr Dang Phuc Nguyen attributed the recovery largely to China, which accounts for around 60% of Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable export value. In September alone, shipments to China reached nearly $800 million, boosted by surging demand during the National Day holiday and the Mid-Autumn Festival, when durian is a popular ingredient for mooncakes. Compared with other suppliers, Vietnamese durians are currently the most competitively priced, appealing to China’s price-sensitive consumers, Thanh Nien reported.
Vinafruit Deputy Secretary - General Mr Nguyen Van Muoi added that besides China, most export markets - including the U.S., Europe, and Asia - also recorded significant growth. Although China remains Vietnam’s largest market, its import value is still slightly lower than last year’s.
“The strongest growth is coming from the U.S., Europe, and other Asian countries. This shows that the current momentum stems from both market diversification and improved product quality,” Mr Muoi said.
The recent surge has fueled optimism for the remaining three months of the year. October is expected to be a peak month as Vietnam enters the post-main durian season, when other suppliers run out of stock - giving Vietnam a strong competitive edge.
“Year-end demand for fruits and vegetables typically rises, especially for off-season durians. With around 30% of supply remaining, limited availability will help maintain high prices. Coupled with strong demand from China, the U.S., South Korea, and Japan, total exports could reach $8 billion - nearly $1 billion higher than in 2024,” Mr Muoi forecasted.
In the U.S., despite a 20% import tariff, demand remains strong. Nguyen Dinh Tung, CEO of Vina T&T Group, said the tariff has minimal impact as American customers continue to increase orders, expecting a surge through year-end.
Since China tightened import controls earlier this year, many Vietnamese exporters have upgraded operations - from farming zones to packaging, cold storage, and branding - ensuring compliance and competitiveness. As a result, the sector not only rebounded but became more resilient. Notably, frozen durian exports have grown sharply, offsetting declines in fresh durian.
Other fruits are also benefiting from seasonal advantages as winter approaches - a period when global supply drops. Meanwhile, rapid expansion in fruit and vegetable processing plants is opening new opportunities for value-added exports.
Among standout performers is the coconut sector. Cao Ba Dang Khoa, Secretary-General of the Vietnam Coconut Association, noted that Vietnam now has over 45 modern processing plants, up from only 8 in 2015, run by leading companies like Betrimex, AIG, Luong Quoi, and Beinco. Export markets have expanded from 80 to 125 countries, with the number of deeply processed products rising from 40 to hundreds, and demand continuing to grow.
Asia Ingredients Group (AIG) revealed that its subsidiary, Asia Coconut Processing (ACP), is developing nearly 10,000 hectares of organic coconut farms in Vinh Long and plans to build a large-scale, high-tech processing plant to diversify products for both domestic and global markets.
Technological advances have also addressed past bottlenecks in cold chain logistics. According to Nguyen Dinh Tung, a decade ago, short shelf life made it difficult to ship fruits like dragon fruit to distant markets such as California, which required 24-25 days in transit. Today, thanks to improved preservation technology, dragon fruit can last 45 days, longans 55 days, and coconuts over 60 days, allowing smooth exports to the U.S. and beyond.
Vinafruit highlighted that processed fruit exports have now outpaced fresh produce, driven by investments in modern production lines, specialized farming areas, and higher-quality raw materials. Processed products not only stabilize domestic prices but also increase value 3-5 times compared with fresh goods, while extending shelf life and meeting stricter import standards.
With diversified markets, improved supply chains, and robust demand from major economies, Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable sector is poised for a record-breaking year in 2025, cementing its position as one of the country’s fastest-growing agricultural export industries.
NPK/ Vinagri News
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