Durian exports are expected to earn 2.4 billion USD this year
In June 2025, Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports grew strongly, in which the durian industry clearly recovered. Durian is not only exported to China but also expanded to Thai market. Key growing regions such as Central Highlands and the Southeast, with low cadmium contamination rates, have helped products meet more export standards.
In addition, businesses have also proactively checked quality right from garden, tightening purchasing and packaging process. Supply of durian in Thailand has been interrupted in some growing regions, creating opportunities to increase imports from Vietnam.
Speaking to reporters from Industry and Trade Newspaper, Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said that in the first three months of 2025, durian exports remained low, with no month reaching 100 million USD. By April, turnover exceeded 100 million USD, increased to 204 million USD in May and continued to increase sharply in June, reaching more than 300 million USD, nearly equal to total export of previous five months. It is expected that in July, exports reached 350-400 million USD, bringing total turnover for the first 7 months of this year to more than 1 billion USD.
Peak of durian harvest and export will fall in August, September and October. Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen forecasts that total export turnover of durian in 2025 is expected to exceed 2 billion USD.
At reporting session with Acting Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang on July 29, Mr. Huynh Tan Dat, Director of Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, said that durian exports, especially frozen durian, have increased sharply. From now until the end of this year will be main time for exports and Department is closely coordinating with General Administration of Customs of China to promote exports.
According to Mr. Huynh Tan Dat, at the end of June, a working group from General Administration of Customs of China conducted field inspections at growing areas, packaging facilities and laboratories in Vietnam. Delegation highly appreciated management work and solutions that Vietnam has committed to and committed to reporting to ensure smooth customs clearance in the last months of the year.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Thanh Nam also affirmed that durian exports are showing a positive trend, thanks to good control of issues related to yellow O and cadmium. Therefore, it is forecasted that from now until the end of this year, durian exports will regain strong growth momentum.
New standards for exported durian: Improving quality, maintaining reputation
To maintain growth momentum and increase value, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is developing a national standard (TCVN) for fresh durian, aiming to standardize quality from growing areas to domestic and foreign consumption markets.
Draft TCVN applies to two main varieties, Ri6 (domestic variety) and Dona (varieties imported from Thailand), accounting for about 90–95% of the country's durian area, along with a number of other varieties produced in Vietnam.
Accordingly, durian must be intact, fresh, free of pests and diseases and free of defects such as burnt segments, toughness, wet cores, etc. Total allowable defects must not exceed 5% of edible portion. In addition to shape, color, taste, weight and physical and chemical indicators, draft specifically stipulates degree of ripeness by region.
In addition to quality requirements, draft also sets out requirements for basic characteristics and appearance such as fruit shape, color, fruit flesh flavor, fruit weight, total soluble solids content and dry matter content of each variety. For example, durian must have a dry matter content of no less than 32.29% for the Ri6 variety and 32.22% for DONA variety, equal to Thailand's export standards.
Durian is divided into three quality grades I, II, III. Of which, grade I is the best, grade III includes durians that do not meet requirements of higher grades but still meet the minimum requirements specified.
Regarding food safety, durian must meet maximum residue limits for pesticides according to current regulations in the country and export markets, especially Chinese market. At the same time, it meets maximum limits of heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, ...) according to current regulations in the country and exporting country; meets maximum limits of mycotoxins, meets maximum limits of microbial contamination according to current regulations... Mr. Huynh Tan Dat said that in 2015, Vietnam issued TCVN 10739:2015 on fresh durian, based on the standards of ASEAN Standard 1:2006 and the first revision - 2012. However, up to now, many regulations are outdated, no longer accurately reflect production and market situation, especially lacking important parameters such as ripeness, fruit flesh quality, total soluble solids content, dry matter content index... especially with the two main varieties Ri6 and Dona.
Meanwhile, competitors such as Thailand have long established durian standards (TAS 3-2013, TAS.9070-2023), clearly regulating dry matter content, fruit weight, ripeness, color, flavor, etc. for purchasing and exporting. Some countries such as China and Indonesia are also tightening quality of imported durian, putting considerable pressure on Vietnam. Ensuring quality of exported durian is top priority today for Vietnamese durian to stand firm in the world market, especially Chinese market, in the face of increasingly fierce competition from Thailand, Malaysia, etc. Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association informed that Thailand, a major "rival" of Vietnamese durian, has long established standards for fresh durian, including purchasing evaluation standards and even laws to manage durian. In Vietnam, in fact, issue of durian quality has caused much controversy in recent times, especially lack of unified standards, making management very difficult, from production to trading.
Mr. Nguyen Van Muoi, Deputy General Secretary of Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said that from practice, we must soon have new standards for fresh durian. This standard sets out conditions for all parties to comply, avoid swapping, confusion about quality, causing conflicts between parties and affecting reputation of Vietnamese durian quality.
According to experts and businesses, promulgation of national standards will create a solid foundation and clear direction, helping both management agencies and producers easily assess, control and trust in product quality. This is a necessary step to enhance the value of durian industry, develop sustainably and maintain its export position in future.

Source: Vitic/ congthuong.vn