Thailand loses market monopoly as China’s demand for durian increases

Published Jan 25, 2024

Tridge summary

China's durian imports surged by 69% in 2023, reaching 1.4 million tonnes, primarily due to a rise in imports from Vietnam following a 2021 market access agreement. This development has impacted Thailand's market share, which dropped from 100% in 2021 to 67.98% in 2023, although its durian shipments to China still saw an increase. Vietnam is targeting a durian turnover of $3.5 billion this year, up by 55% from the previous year. Meanwhile, the Philippines, which gained market access in 2023, now holds a 0.2% share of China's durian imports. Additionally, China started domestic durian production in 2023, with an expected output of 250 tonnes this year.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

China’s durian imports increased dramatically in 2023 up 69 per cent from the previous year to 1.4m tonnes according to data from China’s General Administration of Customs. This increase is largely due to increased imports from Vietnam following a new market access agreement in 2021. This new trade has disrupted Thailand’s market share which, according to reporting from South China Morning Post, was 100 per cent in 2021 and fell to 67.98 per cent in 2023. This is not to say import volumes from Thailand are in decline. Sam Sin, development director at S&F Produce Group in Hong Kong, who ships durian from Thailand, told the South China Morning Post, “Thailand’s durian shipments to China still went up last year as the consumer market in China’s mid-sized cities began to ripen.” Vietnam has lofty goals to meet this growing demand in China. After an increase in market share from practically nothing pre-2022 to 31.82 per cent last year for a total value of US$2.1bn, the country’s ...

Source: Fruitnet