Southeast Asian durian exporters vie for China's booming market

NANNING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- At Youyiguan, or Friendship Pass, on the China-Vietnam border, trucks loaded with Vietnamese durians are entering China one after another.

This bustling scene at the border port, located in Pingxiang, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, mirrors the growing popularity of Vietnamese durians among Chinese consumers.

Guan Caixia, a fruit wholesaler in Nanning, capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, testified to the existence of durian fever.

Vietnamese Kanyao durians have become a top seller at her stall, often selling out by the afternoon. "Many consumers and retailers return for more after tasting Vietnamese durians for the first time," she said.

The rise of Vietnamese durians in China is a recent phenomenon. Fresh Vietnamese durians didn't enter the Chinese market until 2022, but they have quickly captured the palates of Chinese consumers.

Last year, some 493,000 tonnes of fresh Vietnamese durians were sold to China. China is the world's largest importer and consumer of durians, and its demand for this thorny fruit has continued to soar, with data showing its durian imports surging over 70 percent year on year to about 1.43 million tonnes in 2023.

This rapid growth presents a golden opportunity for durian exporters, especially those from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

China's continuous efforts to facilitate trade with ASEAN countries, including the building of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area and the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), have further opened up its door to durian producers.

In June, China greenlighted fresh durian imports from Malaysia, making that country the fourth Southeast Asian nation to gain access to the lucrative Chinese market -- following Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Analysts believe that the influx of more durian varieties is set to reshape China's market landscape and predicted that the battle for market share would get more intense down the road.

Ye Hongxiang, a fruit dealer from Pingxiang, has businesses in both Thailand and Vietnam. According to Ye, weather conditions this year have affected the quality and yield of durians in Thailand's orchards, making high-quality Vietnamese durians a more attractive option for buyers.

"Chinese customers are more familiar with Thai durians as they were the first to enter the market. However, with the introduction of Vietnamese durians, I believe more domestic consumers will come to appreciate their high quality thanks to promotions via channels such as e-commerce," Ye said.

Facing increasing competition, Niti Pratoomvongsa, director of the commercial office of the Royal Thai Consulate General in Nanning, sees both opportunities and challenges for Thai durians.

Thailand plans to continuously improve product packaging, preservation and transportation while also holding events like durian festivals to build brand awareness among Chinese customers, and to develop more products made from durians to win over the Chinese market, the director said.

DSR Taiko Berhad, a major Malaysian fruit producer, debuted at this year's China-ASEAN Expo with its signature products made from Musang King durian, the priciest cultivar known for its richness and smooth texture, as well as diverse downstream products like durian pizza, Musang King coffee and Musang King milk tea.

Recognizing the vast potential of the Chinese market, with a population of over 1.4 billion, Ng Lian Poh, the company's CEO, said he is targeting the high-end market. Their newly opened durian-themed restaurant in east China's Zhejiang Province has received fantastic feedback.

Ng believes that Malaysian durians "are more on quality than quantity," while adding that this is "one of the advantages of Malaysia's durians."

"In recent years, Chinese consumers' acceptance and appreciation of durians and durian-related products have steadily increased, and the durian consumption market in China has continued to expand," said Lei Xiaohua, a researcher with the Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences.

For durian-exporting countries, maintaining price competitiveness while ensuring consistent and reliable product quality is crucial for sustainable growth, Lei added.