Intra-Asia trade and Southern Hemisphere imports propel Asia’s fresh fruit business to new heights in 2025, reveals Asiafruit Statistics Handbook 2026
Asia’s fresh fruit trade continued to expand in 2025, with total imports to the region lifting almost 10 per cent year on year to 19.2m tonnes valued at US$32m, according to the Asiafruit Statistics Handbook 2026.
Intra-Asian trade was the main volume driver, rising 10.4 per cent to 14mn tonnes and accounting for 73 per cent of the total trade.
China extended its dominant position in the region, both as an exporter and importer. Exports of apples, mandarins, table grapes and pears, mostly bound for South Asian and South-East Asian markets, increased 8 per cent to 5.1mn tonnes.
Tropical fruit trade from South-East Asia into North Asia continued to see strong gains, driven by shipments of durian and bananas from Thailand and Vietnam into China.
Global fruit imports to Asia (from outside the region) increased by 8.6 per cent to 5.1mn tonnes. Counter-seasonal temperate fruit imports from the Southern Hemisphere accounted for almost two-thirds of this trade, increasing 17 per cent to 3.3mn tonnes. Chilean cherries, South African citrus, Australina grapes, and New Zealand kiwifruit were the key drivers.
Japan’s fruit imports were dominated by bananas – weighing in at 1mn tonnes – but there were substantial increases for oranges, mandarins, avocados, grapes and apples.
Korea’s fruit imports declined by 6 per cent overall, although avocados, blueberries and cherries all recorded robust growth.
Thailand increased its two-way trade in favour of exports, with durian helping to drive a 6 per cent increase in fruit exports to 2.1mn tonnes. Imported fruits, led by apples and grapes, dropped by 9 per cent overall to 595,000 tonnes.
India, the world’s most populous nation, saw fruit imports edge closer to the 1m-tonne-mark, recording a 5.4 per cent growth to 910,000 tonnes. Apples, oranges and kiwifruit fuelled the increase.
Across the region, strong growth for avocados, cherries, kiwifruit, grapes and other premium fruit categories highlighted the opportunities beyond traditional high-volume products.
Asia remains a key growth region for the global fresh fruit industry. However, intensifying regional competition and changing trade flows make informed market selection, seasonal positioning and reliable market intelligence increasingly important to export success.
As regional production and trade continue to evolve, the 2025 results reinforce the importance of understanding individual market conditions rather than relying solely on regional growth.
Published by Asiafruit Magazine, Asiafruit Statistics Handbook is the annual statistical guide to Asia’s fresh produce trade. The 2026 edition was launched at Asiafruit Knowledge Centre at Asia Fruit Logistica on 2-4 September 2026 in Hong Kong. For a free digital copy of Asiafruit Statistics Handbook 2026, visit www.fruitnet.com/asiafruitknowledgecentre/stats-handbook
