Vietnam - NZ apples

The value of Vietnamese fresh produce exports skyrocketed over the month of January, while the country’s import sector was also abuzz, according to a report from Nhan Dan Online.

Citing figures from the General Department of Vietnam Customs, the report claimed fruit and vegetable exports from the South East Asian nation reached nearly US$384m last month, up 63 per cent on January 2017 and 18 per cent on the previous month.

China was by far the primary destination, with sales to the People’s Republic topping US$265m for the month. The US (US$11m), Japan (US$10m) and South Korea (US$6.9m) were the next largest markets.

The report suggested Vietnamese fruit and vegetable imports reached US$167m over January 2018, up 72.5 per cent year-on-year. Neighbouring Thailand was the key source of imported produce, delivering more than US$73m worth of products, followed by China (US$39m) and the US (US$18m).