Forecasts for Q3/2026 indicate that fruit and vegetable exports will continue to maintain positive growth momentum, against the backdrop of multiple markets continuing to open up. Notably, following durian, bananas and dragon fruit hold second and third place, respectively, in export turnover.

Bananas face the opportunity to become a billion-dollar export commodity

In July alone, fruit and vegetable exports reached 1.08 billion USD, up 40.6% compared to July 2025. This marks the first month since the beginning of 2026 that fruit and vegetable exports surpassed the 1 billion USD threshold.

For the first 7 months of 2026 combined, Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports reached 4.788 billion USD, an increase of 23.6% compared to the same period in 2025, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.

Durian continues to serve as the main growth driver, contributing more than half of fruit and vegetable export turnover. Over the 7 months, durian exports were estimated at about 1.8 billion USD, accounting for more than 46.0% of the country's total fresh fruit export turnover.

Notably, following durian, bananas and dragon fruit ranked second and third in export turnover.

The rustic fruit—the banana—secured the runner-up spot with export turnover in the first 7 months of the year reaching over 222.6 million USD. China continues to be the primary consumption market, accounting for 66.7% of total banana export turnover, followed by South Korea (accounting for 16.7%) and Japan (holding an 8.8% market share).

The positive growth momentum in the Chinese market is driven mainly by import demand for tropical fruits, particularly durian, bananas, dragon fruit, fresh coconuts, and mangoes...

Currently, bananas are gradually asserting their position as one of the most promising export fruit sectors in agriculture. With advantages in natural conditions, large cultivation areas, and growing consumer demand from international markets, many experts believe the goal of bringing banana exports to the 1 billion USD milestone in the future is no longer out of reach.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, in the Scheme for the Development of Key Fruit Trees to 2025, with orientations to 2030, bananas are identified as one of the focal commodity sectors. This is currently a crop with high economic value, ranking among the fruit crops with the largest cultivation area in Vietnam.

Vietnam currently ranks 9th globally in banana output. However, export value has only reached about 380 million USD per year, which remains rather modest compared to the global market scale. This also demonstrates that the growth headroom for this commodity sector remains very large.

In recent years, many enterprises have invested systematically in large-scale banana production, forming concentrated raw material zones, applying synchronized technical workflows, and focusing strongly on exports. This is considered an important foundation for enhancing the competitive capacity of Vietnamese bananas in the international market.

In 2026, fruit and vegetable exports confidently target 9.5–10 billion usd

Regarding the overall export market for fruits and vegetables, China, the United States, South Korea, Japan, and the Netherlands are Vietnam's largest fruit and vegetable export markets. Among these, China continues to be the largest export market, accounting for 58.9% of the country's total commodity value, reaching over 2.8 billion USD, up 33.1% compared to the same period in 2025.

Also over the past 7 months, the United States was a major fruit and vegetable export market, reaching 361.1 million USD, up 14.4% year-on-year; South Korea and Japan also grew positively, reaching 201.4 million USD and 147.5 million USD respectively, up 9.6% and 4% compared to the same period.

In addition, Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports to several other major markets maintained double-digit growth compared to the same period in 2025, including the Netherlands, Malaysia, Germany, Russia, Canada…

From now until the end of the year, the primary growth driver is still determined to stem from the recovery in import demand across key markets such as China, the United States, the European Union (EU), Japan, and South Korea.

Along with that, India's official opening of its market to fresh Vietnamese durian starting from July 13, 2026, with more favorable quarantine requirements, is expected to create additional growth headroom, contributing to diversifying export markets.

Besides, advantageous fruits such as pomelo, coconut, dragon fruit… are increasingly present in demanding markets, laying the groundwork for the fruit and vegetable sector to continue expanding turnover and heading toward more sustainable growth.

The export outlook for fruits and vegetables in the final months of 2026 is therefore evaluated as highly favorable as markets continue to expand and multiple products gain more opportunities to access major markets.

It is forecasted that between now and year-end, Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports will continue to maintain positive growth momentum, creating a solid foundation for the entire industry to target a turnover of about 9.5–10 billion USD for the entirety of 2026.

Source: Bao Thanh tra