August exports rose 14.6 per cent from the same month last year, after reaching $1.07 billion in July. It was the first time the sector had recorded monthly exports above $1 billion in both July and August.
The rapid growth has made durian one of Việt Nam''s leading agricultural export products but has also exposed weaknesses in the management of growing areas, quality control, varieties, pest management and production organisation.
Cooperation should go beyond individual purchasing deals towards the development of a complete industry chain, with quality controlled at the source and more value retained by participants, particularly farmers.
China spent nearly US$988 million on Vietnamese durian in the first half of this year, up 43.4 per cent from a year earlier, accounting for almost half of the country''s fruit and vegetable exports to the market, customs data showed.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment said July saw the highest monthly export value ever recorded, driven by growing demand for processed products and stronger access to high-value markets.
Durian exports reached nearly US$1.1 billion in the first six months of this year, up 32 per cent year-on-year. The industry''s strongest export season, however, is still ahead.
The Plant Production and Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment said the Indian government had approved the import of fresh durian from Việt Nam for domestic consumption.
If the Central Highlands harvest proceeds smoothly and issues related to growing-area and packing-house codes are resolved promptly, exports could generate an additional US$2 billion in the remaining months of the year, pushing the whole-year figure beyond $4 billion.
Administrative and regulatory hurdles, particularly those arising from Decree No. 38/2026 on planting area and packing facility codes, continued to hamper exports.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the facilities are authorised by China’s customs authority to test cadmium (Cd) and Auramine O in durian and jackfruit exports.
The country is entering the peak harvest season for major fruits including durian, lychee, mango and coconut, with abundant supplies expected to support export growth in the second and third quarters.
India is set to ease export requirements by removing special import conditions and extra phytosanitary declarations for fresh Vietnamese durian, allowing the product to enter the market more smoothly.