Fruit and vegetable exports from Vietnam and Thailand into the market of a billion consumers have recorded powerful growth rates. However, starting June 1, China has begun enforcing new regulations targeting 2,589 imported agricultural products.

According to a bulletin from the Agency of Foreign Trade (under the Ministry of Industry and Trade), during the first 5 months of this year, Vietnam's fruit and vegetable export turnover was estimated at 2.98 billion USD, marking a 29.4% surge compared to the same period in 2025.

Statistical data also reveals that the export proportion of the processed product group grew from 29.33% in the first 4 months of 2025 to 35.82% in the first 4 months of 2026, contributing to reducing reliance on the seasonal nature of fresh fruit trading. Meanwhile, commodities exported formally under signed Protocols with the Chinese market recorded stable export growth.

Characteristically, fresh and frozen durian led the entire sector in terms of export value, accounting for 14.26% of the total fruit and vegetable export turnover. Vietnam's durian export turnover jumped strongly by 59.7% compared to the same period in 2025, reaching 293.13 million USD during the first 4 months of 2026.

Currently, China remains the largest client purchasing Vietnamese fruits and vegetables, accounting for 49.5% of our country's total sector export turnover in the first 4 months of this year.

Notably, according to the China Agricultural Outlook Report (2026–2035), purchasing power in this market has shown a distinct polarization following the peak consumption period of the Lunar New Year. While demand for certain conventional items trends toward a standstill, tropical fruits like durian, fresh coconut, and jackfruit (the product groups where Vietnam holds supply advantages) alongside premium fruit groups like blueberries remain highly favored by consumers.

Thanks to this, China's import demand for high-quality fresh tropical fruits continues to maintain a robust growth trajectory.

During the first 4 months of 2026, China's imports of fruits, vegetables, and processed products reached 8.04 billion USD, a 3.7% increase compared to the same period in 2025. Durian, bananas, dragon fruit, and fresh coconut were the most imported commodities into China.

For durian specifically, China spent 1.7 billion USD to import nearly 356.3 thousand tons, representing a sudden spike of 253.8% in volume and a whopping 207.2% surge in value compared to the same period last year. Thailand continued to dominate the durian supply to China with 288.55 thousand tons, followed by Vietnam at 62.88 thousand tons.

Within the top 3 largest fruit and vegetable supply sources to China, this market scaled back imports from Chile but sharply accelerated imports from Thailand and Vietnam. Thailand's fruit and vegetable market share within China's total import turnover climbed from 18.44% to 26.82%, while Vietnam's market share expanded from 11.71% to 14.54%.

However, starting June 1, 2026, the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) officially enforced Decree 280, introducing new requirements regarding legal documentation for 2,589 products across 20 agricultural industry groups (encompassing all fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, and spices such as chili, pepper, cinnamon, etc.).

Accordingly, for goods to clear customs, they mandatory require a confirmation letter and a foreign manufacturer registration code that match precisely on the customs declaration. The enforcement of Decree 280 demonstrates that GACC is shifting from volume-based inspection methods to more stringent quarantine risk assessments directly at border gates.

The Agency of Foreign Trade also noted that detailed risk analyses for agricultural product groups exported to China under Decree 280 concentrate heavily on aspects such as raw material sources, manufacturing and processing lines, transportation and preservation conditions, historical violation records, and international management protocols.

According to forecasts by agricultural trade experts, China's fruit imports in 2026 will approach the milestone of 15 million tons.

Yet, to reduce reliance on a few massive supply sources, China continues to sign phytosanitary protocols to diversify its supply origins. For instance, GACC approved the formal import of fresh jackfruit from Vietnam starting June 1 and is accelerating review timelines for fresh coconut and frozen durian from neighboring countries.

The Agency of Foreign Trade evaluates that from now until the end of 2026, China will remain identified as a market holding massive potential for fruit and vegetable exporting nations, including Vietnam. However, this market of a billion consumers is imposing increasingly strict demands regarding product quality.

Therefore, export prospects for the remaining months of this year rely heavily on the capacity to fulfill GAP standards, control plant protection chemical residues, and guarantee absolute transparency within packaging phases.

Source: Bao VietNamNet