New regulations regarding Phytosanitary Certificates from India are viewed as a positive signal for Vietnamese durian exports.

According to a new food safety and animal and plant quarantine (SPS) notification from India, the country is drafting amendments to its plant quarantine regulations for imported plants. Under these amendments, fresh durian from Vietnam will not require additional declarations on the Phytosanitary Certificate and will not be subject to special import conditions.

This information was published by the Vietnam SPS Office in its report updating the sanitary and phytosanitary measures issued by WTO members from May 1 to May 15.

This is considered a positive signal for the Vietnamese durian industry, helping to reduce procedures and facilitate exports.

However, the regulation is currently in the public comment phase until July 3, so enterprises need to continue monitoring the situation before deploying large-scale commercial plans with this market.

India is the second-largest market of a billion people after China. Therefore, Vietnamese durian overcoming technical requirements to access this market is a highly encouraging sign.

Durian exports reach approximately 221.7 million USD

According to customs data, during the first four months of 2026, durian exports witnessed a breakthrough growth in both volume and value despite not yet entering the peak harvest season. The export market for durian has also expanded increasingly alongside brand-building efforts.

In the first quarter of 2026 alone, Vietnam's durian exports reached approximately 221.7 million USD, jumping by up to 230% compared to the same period. The fact that the growth rate in value outpaced that of output shows that this industry is step-by-step shifting from quantity-based growth to enhancing added value.

One of the highlights recently is the breakthrough performance of frozen durian. While our country's frozen durian exports reached just over 4,600 tons in 2024, the figure surged to over 91,000 tons in 2025—a breakthrough increase of nearly 20 times.

Notably, beyond traditional markets, Vietnamese durian is increasing its presence in many demanding markets. Durian exports to the United States rose by over 107%, South Korea surged by nearly 262%, Australia grew by over 40%, and Japan increased by nearly 12% compared to the same period in 2025.

Persistent worries remain

According to many enterprises, China remains the primary market, purchasing around 90% of Vietnam's fresh durian export volume. However, control and procurement policies there are often unstable, leaving prices precarious.

Durian contaminated with cadmium and Auramine O exceeding permissible thresholds remains a major concern. This is one of the reasons why exports to China have faced difficulties recently, leading to plunging prices. Additionally, an increasing supply and a harvest season that overlaps with Thailand's also cause durian prices to lack stability.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development also issued a notice stating that export activities for durian and several key agricultural products are encountering many difficulties. Prominent among these is the congestion in testing, traceability, and meeting the standards of importing markets.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development requested the Chairpersons of the People's Committees of provinces and cities to drastically direct specialized departments and sectors to conduct a comprehensive review. Simultaneously, local authorities must proactively work with enterprises and cooperatives to support consumption, connect markets, and promptly resolve bottlenecks in production, harvesting, preliminary processing, packaging, and circulation of agricultural products. Furthermore, localities need to strengthen the management of growing areas and packaging facilities, ensuring full compliance with regulations on growing area codes, traceability, and food safety as required by importing markets.

Alongside strengthening the management of growing areas and packaging facilities, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development requested localities to direct testing facilities under their jurisdiction to enhance capacity, personnel, and equipment to accelerate testing progress. This will ensure that export demands are met in a timely manner and prevent prolonged congestion. Localities must also step up inspections and supervision, and strictly handle facilities that exhibit behaviors causing difficulties, delays, or failure to fully execute duties under regulations.

The Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection also needs to review and warn growing areas at high risk of cadmium contamination. It must guide localities to apply appropriate cultivation practices (utilizing fertilizers, water, and chemicals) in accordance with proper processes to minimize risks and meet the regulations of consuming markets.

Not only that, the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection needs to continue reviewing and perfecting regulations on growing area management, cultivation processes, as well as phytosanitary processes for export goods, while promptly proposing amendments and additions to regulations that remain problematic.

Source: VietnamPlus, TTXVN