Malaysia is the “capital” of Musang King durians in the world. However, over the past 11 months, Malaysia has spent five times more money than the same period last year to purchase durian from Vietnam. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong market has nearly doubled its imports.
According to data from the Customs Department, Malaysia is the fastest-growing market for Vietnamese durian in the first 11 months of this year.
Specifically, the export value of durians to this country reached approximately $2.6 million over the 11-month period. It is five times higher than the same period last year. Although the market share remains small (0.07%), this growth trend shows a clear expansion in demand for Vietnamese agricultural products in Malaysia.
Durian from Vietnam
Hong Kong (China) has also increased its purchases of durian from Vietnam. This market’s value reached around $47 million, nearly double last year’s figure. In November alone, durian exports to this market exceeded $1.6 million. It is more than 20 times higher than the same period in 2024.
Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen is the Secretary General of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association. According to him, the sharp increase in imports of Vietnamese durians is mainly due to seasonal factors and market segmentation.
In Malaysia, the durian season ranges between May and August, while supply is limited during the remaining months. As for Hong Kong, it has no durian-growing areas and relies entirely on imports for consumption and re-export.
Meanwhile, Vietnamese durians have the advantage of staggered harvest seasons and a year-round supply. In addition, an increasingly diverse range of varieties enables them to meet processing needs as well as domestic consumption demand in these markets.
Top five markets of Vietnamese durian
Overall, in the first 11 months, Vietnam’s durian exports exceeded $3.65 billion. Accordingly, it was up nearly 17% in comparison to the same period last year. In November alone, durian export value reached nearly $313 million. Although it was down from the previous month, it was more than three times higher than the same time last year.
China remains the key market, accounting for 94.5% of total exports. In the 11-month period, the export value of Vietnamese durians to this market reached $3.45 billion, representing a 21.4% increase. However, heavy dependence on a single market makes the industry’s export revenue highly volatile. For example, in November, durian exports fell sharply compared to October as demand from China slowed.
In contrast, Thailand was once a market that accounted for a significant share of Vietnamese durian imports. However, it reduced its purchases by more than 80% compared with the same period last year.
Vietnamese source: https://vnexpress.net/malaysia-chi-tien-gap-5-lan-mua-sau-rieng-viet-nam-5000134.html