According to the statistics figures from the General Department of Customs, in September of 2019, the country’s exports of fruits and vegetables reached 272.17 million USD, up by 0.8 per cent compared to the previous month, but down by 5.6 per cent compared to the same month of 2018. Generally in the first 9 months of 2019, the country’s exports of fruits and vegetables reached 2.82 billion USD, down by 5.3 per cent over the same period of 2018.

In the first 9 months of 2019, although the country’s exports of vegetables and fruits to several markets such as EU, USA, Korea, Japan, Netherlands, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Australia and especially Laos market increased very strongly, but that was still not enough to compensate for the decrease in exports to the Chinese market. Specifically, the exports to the EU reached 112.49 million USD, accounting for 4 per cent of the total, up sharply by 36.9 per cent; to the US reached 111.97 million USD, up by 12.8 per cent over the same period last year; while the exports to Southeast Asia market increased by 11 per cent, reaching 119.27 million USD, accounting for 4.2 per cent; and the exports to South Korea also increased by 12.3 per cent, reaching 95.61 million USD, accounting for 3.4 per cent of the total. The exports of vegetables and fruits to Laos increased sharply by 313.5 per cent, reaching 29.36 million USD; to Hong Kong - increased by 216.9 per cent, reaching 49.36 million USD; and to Taiwan increased by 56.4 per cent, reaching 49.36 million USD.

The exports of fruits and vegetables to China reached 1.91 billion USD, down by 13.5 per cent compared to the same period of 2018 due to the US - China trade tensions that reduced China's agricultural exports to the US market. Therefore, Chinese agricultural products returned to domestic consumption, limiting imports.

The fruit and vegetable exports dropped sharply because the exports of some main products dropped sharply such as longan (down by 43 per cent), durian (down by 20.2 per cent), coconut (down by 30.8 per cent), and watermelon (down by 26.3 per cent), rambutan (down by 7.3 per cent), wood ear (down by 49.4 per cent), shiitake mushrooms (down by 46.6 per cent), peppers (down by 44.8 per cent), sweet potatoes (down by 39.5 per cent).

Currently, Vietnam has been exporting 9 fruits to China, including: dragon fruit, watermelon, litchi, longan, banana, mango, jackfruit, rambutan and mangosteen. In the first 8 months of 2019, China imported mangosteen mainly from Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.