Building fruit export value chains for the Chinese market

China is the world's largest importer of fresh fruit and a key market for Vietnamese fresh fruit and agricultural products, with substantial potential for further growth.

Durian-growing area supplying fruit for export to China in Tan Phu ward. Photo: Binh Nguyen

In recent years, Vietnam and China have stepped up trade cooperation, particularly in agricultural products. The two sides are moving beyond trade links to develop integrated value chains spanning production, logistics and finance, with a view to promoting sustainable growth. The durian sector has emerged as a prominent example of this cooperation model.

Expanding cooperation

During the recent durian harvest, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and localities with large durian-growing areas organized a series of business-matching and cooperation programs, attracting numerous Chinese corporations and businesses. The initiatives aim to build a Vietnam-China durian supply chain and support the development of a high-quality value chain covering the entire sector. The initiatives seek to connect all stages of the supply chain, from growing areas, cultivation and harvesting to preliminary processing, packaging, transportation and distribution. Particular attention is being paid to quarantine, inspection, traceability and customs clearance. The business-matching programs are also opening up opportunities to expand investment and cooperation into other fresh fruit and agricultural products, together with cold storage, deep processing, logistics and e-commerce.

Durian is among Vietnam's leading agricultural exports to China and is a high-value product with substantial room for export growth. It has therefore been prioritized for value-chain development. Although durian is harvested only once a year, differences in harvesting periods among major growing regions, including the Mekong Delta, the Southeastern region and the Central Highlands, create favorable conditions for developing a supply chain capable of supplying the Chinese market throughout the year.

At a recent Vietnam-China Durian Supply Chain Business Matching and Cooperation Program in Dak Lak province, Thach Minh Huy, Chairman of Trung Nong Thinh Nguyen Seed Corporation, said China's demand for imported durian still had considerable room for growth. Around 1 billion Chinese consumers have yet to taste durian, while retail demand for the fruit continues to grow, particularly for high-quality products and premium brands, he said. However, some Chinese investors entering the sector have suffered losses due to a lack of transparency in information on growing areas, prices and sales channels, as well as the involvement of too many intermediaries. Huy said his company operates a network of 1,800 retail outlets and has extensive market experience. It plans to expand investment and cooperation with Vietnamese durian-growing cooperatives to increase imports from Vietnam.

A green-skinned pomelo garden in Tan Trieu ward meets standards for export to China.

Liu Xu, Director of Overseas Market Sales at the Guangxi Supply and Marketing Cooperative Federation, likewise said durian was more than just a tropical fruit and could become a “golden link” connecting Vietnam's high-quality growing areas with China's vast consumer market. We are interested in supporting the development of a high-quality Vietnam-China durian value chain. The program aims to connect production and consumption, create opportunities for long-term cooperation and promote the development of a high-quality supply chain between the two countries. Our strengths included a distribution network with hundreds of local retail outlets and more than 3,000 agricultural wholesale markets across major cities as well as county- and township-level areas throughout China.

“Our strength lies not only in distribution but also in our ability to connect and improve the circulation system, delivering products directly to consumers in both urban and rural areas,” Liu said.

Developing fruit value chains

Vietnam currently has more than 20 fresh fruit and vegetable products, including durian, dragon fruit, pomelo and coconut, that are eligible for export to China through official channels. More importantly, agricultural cooperation between the two countries is gradually shifting from simple agricultural trade toward the development of comprehensive supply chains.

Dong Nai has strong potential to rapidly develop specialized growing areas for fresh fruit destined for export to China through official channels. Businesses, cooperatives and farmers across the city are increasingly focusing on standardizing growing areas for large-scale commercial production, upgrading packing facilities and ensuring traceability in an effort to expand exports to the world's largest and highly promising market.

Pham Thi Thanh Tam, Director of Thai Hoa Phat Binh Phuoc Co., Ltd., a fresh-fruit exporter based in Binh Phuoc ward, said fresh fruit exports had posted remarkable growth since the beginning of 2026. Several key products, including durian and pomelo, have recorded particularly strong growth, with China remaining the main export market. The Chinese market is increasingly focused on quality. Accordingly, cooperatives and farmers in the city are shifting toward organic and safe production to meet the requirements of export markets.

Tang Hieu Ngoc, a representative of the China Certification & Inspection Group (CCIC), said: “ Vietnam-China durian sector was poised to move from simple trade transactions toward organized cooperation and upgrading of the entire value chain. CCIC had developed solutions covering customs clearance, inspection, quarantine and supply-chain standards to facilitate cooperation across the durian export sector and streamline customs procedures. We conduct pre-export inspections overseas to proactively prevent and minimize the risk of goods being rejected or returned. Businesses are also stepping up the application of digital technologies and artificial intelligence to improve management efficiency, transparency and traceability throughout the supply chain. CCIC's trials had shown that customs clearance could be completed within half a day to one day, compared with the two to three days previously required. This is a major advantage for boosting exports of high-quality fresh fruit from Vietnam to the Chinese market.”

Cooperation between Vietnamese and Chinese businesses is not simply about purchasing fruit but about jointly building and developing the entire value chain. It brings together Vietnam's high-quality fruit-growing regions and China's vast consumer market. In the long term, Vietnam-China cooperation in fresh fruit trade is expected to evolve toward a high-value industry ecosystem linked to deep processing, thereby expanding the value chains of fresh fruit and agricultural products.

By B.Nguyen - Translated by M.Nguyet, Thu Ha