Imported durian market changes dramatically as Thailand and Vietnam start a battle for market share

China, being the world's largest consumer of durian, has seen a steady increase in durian imports from 430,000 tons and US$1.1 billion in 2018 to 1.42 million tons and US$6.7 billion in 2023. Thai durian has been the dominant import, but Vietnamese durian has been gaining market share, accounting for 39% of imports in 2024. Philippine durian exports to China have also been on the rise. Malaysia has recently been granted permission to export fresh durian to China, marking a milestone in its durian export history.

The National Federation of Urban Agricultural Trade Centers has recently released an overview of China's fresh durian imports in recent years. As the world's largest durian consumer market, China's demand for fresh durian has continued to rise in recent years, making it the world's largest durian importer. In 2023, the Chinese market consumed 91% of the world's durian. According to Chinese customs statistics, China's durian import volume and import value increased from 430,000 tons and US$1.1 billion in 2018 to 1.42 million tons and US$6.7 billion in 2023. From January to September 2024, China imported 1.38 million tons of fresh durian, worth US$6.2 billion, and continued to maintain a growth trend. Thai durian was allowed to enter China in 2003 and has long been the "dominant" position in the Chinese durian market. In 2022, 784,000 tons of durian were exported to China, worth US$3.87 billion, accounting for 95% of China's total imports. In 2023, Thailand's durian exports to China ...