The rebound has been driven by surging demand for durian and steady growth of key products such as coconut, processed mango, and passion fruit.
Resurgence after early-year slump
Preliminary data show that fruit and vegetable exports reached 731.4 million USD in July, marking a 32.9% year-on-year increase despite a 9.4% decline compared to June. For the January–July period, the sector’s export value is estimated at more than 3.83 billion USD, narrowing the year-on-year decrease to just 2.2% - a notable improvement from the nearly 30% drop recorded at the start of the year.
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Farmers harvest VietGAP-standard durians in Gia Lai province. |
Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (VinaFruit), said this is a positive turnaround for the sector. Much of the recovery is attributed to strong performance from durian, which played a pivotal role in export growth in 2023.
Coconut, mango, passion fruit gain momentum
In addition to durian, products such as coconut, processed mango, and passion fruit have recorded impressive growth. Notably, the price of Vietnamese coconut surged from 1.21 USD per kilogram in 2022 to 7.26 USD per kilogram in 2025, reflecting rising global demand for coconut-based food, cosmetics, and biofuel products. After China, the U.S. began importing fresh coconuts from Vietnam in 2023, with Middle Eastern markets also increasing their purchases.
In the first half of 2025, the U.S. emerged as the fastest-growing export market of Vietnam, with turnover soaring by 166% year-on-year and accounting for 8.42% of total exports, up from 5% in 2024. China remained Vietnam’s largest market, contributing 52.62% of total export value, although this represents a drop from 65% in the same period last year.
Other markets such as Japan, Taiwan (China), and the Netherlands also posted strong year-on-year growth ranging from 10% to 70%. Conversely, exports to China and Thailand fell by 24% and 29%, respectively, due to increasing technical barriers.
Expanding processing capacity and market access
At the National Fruit and Vegetable Export Conference held on July 18 in Ho Chi Minh City, industry representatives identified banana and passion fruit as the next key export drivers. Vietnamese bananas are now present in high-standard markets, including Japan, the Republic of Korea, the E.U., the U.S., and China. Vietnam is in negotiations for official passion fruit exports to the U.S. and has completed technical documents for potential access to the Republic of Korea and Thailand.
According to VinaFruit, recovery prospects in the latter half of 2025 are underpinned by proactive adjustments in production processes to meet importing countries’ technical requirements, especially from China. Progress in granting planting area codes and packaging facility certifications has accelerated, and various technical barriers are being addressed through bilateral dialogues.
Stable growth is expected in high-value markets such as the U.S., E.U., Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Australia, particularly for processed products. A growing share of processed exports is helping reduce reliance on fresh fruits, improving shelf life and minimising market risks.
Strong outlook for year-end peak season
On the import side, Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable imports in July 2025 are estimated at 234.6 million USD, up 9.3% from the previous month and 14.1% year-on-year. Cumulatively, the country's imports in the first seven months reached over 1.43 billion USD, up 16.9%.
Despite a decline in durian exports in the first half of the year, recent signs point to a potential breakthrough in the year-end peak season, particularly as demand from China increases ahead of the Lunar New Year. According to Nguyen, Chinese consumers are increasingly favouring processed fruit products for their convenience and added value.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has also instructed relevant agencies to focus on easing market access for durian, which accounted for half of Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable export turnover in 2024. Addressing phytosanitary barriers and accelerating the issuance of growing area codes will be the key to reviving exports to China in the coming months.
With strong growth momentum from 2024 (7.12 billion USD) and a clear recovery trend, experts believed Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable industry is well-positioned to achieve the export target of 8 billion USD in 2025, provided it maintains current growth and continues expanding into high-value and sustainable markets.
Source: VNA