South-East Asian country gains market share, supplying almost 16 per cent of fresh produce imports
Vietnam was China’s third largest supplier of fruits and vegetables in the first half of the year, according to China Customs data cited in a VNExpress report, narrowing the gap on the county’s second largest supplier Chile.
The report revealed China had imported US$2.16bn worth of Vietnamese fresh produce, flowers and roots – an increase of 19.3 per cent on the same period in 2025.
The rise also translated to an increase in market share, with the country supplying almost 16 per cent of China’s fresh produce imports (up 13.8 per cent year on year) following behind Thailand at 37 per cent market share and Chile at 17 per cent.
Durian exports were the biggest growth driver with China paying almost US$988mn for imports of fresh and frozen durian from Vietnam, an increase of 43 per cent on the import value of the same period in 2025.
Dang Phuc Nguyen, secretary-general of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, told VNExpress Vietnam’s proximity to China allows exports of fresh products to maintain better quality and lower logistics costs compared to other supply countries in South-East Asia and South America. This proximity also provides greater leeway when supplying to second- and third-tier cities and provinces in the country’s northern and western regions.
Gains were also likely due to expanded access for Vietnamese fruits. However, Nguyen said China’s increasingly stringent requirements on imports could affect Vietnamese exports if businesses were not careful. Origin fraud, the misuse of growing-area codes, and pest contamination can all result in codes being temporarily suspended or revoked affecting the exports of an entire growing region, he said.
