The presence of Vietnamese grapefruit at Lotte Mart Korea marks an important milestone for the agricultural export industry and affirms the superior quality of Vietnamese fruit.

On April 10, Vietnamese grapefruit was officially sold on the shelves of Lotte Mart supermarket system in Korea. The event is a testament to the superior quality of Vietnamese agricultural products, and at the same time affirms the continuous efforts of businesses and agencies of the two countries in promoting bilateral economic cooperation between Vietnam and Korea.

For Vietnamese businesses, the event is also a driving force to promote investment in processing technology, improve product quality, build brands and enhance competitiveness in the international market.

In addition, this is also an opportunity for all parties to look back on the journey of bringing Vietnamese grapefruit to Korean consumers, and discuss opportunities to expand the market in the coming time. The event was attended by senior leaders of Lotte Mart, Mr. Pham Khac Tuyen - First Secretary, in charge of the Vietnam Trade Office in Korea and representatives of Hoang Huy Company Limited - the enterprise exporting the first batch of grapefruit to Korea.

At the event, Lotte Mart representatives highly appreciated the potential of Vietnamese grapefruit in Korea because of its sweet taste, high vitamin C content and suitability to the taste of consumers in this country. After the first batch of grapefruit was distributed at Lotte Mart Jamsil branch, the group plans to expand product distribution to other branches if it receives positive feedback from consumers.

Meanwhile, the Trade Office, Embassy of Vietnam in Korea pledged to continue supporting businesses in accessing market information, connecting with partners, completing export procedures and diversifying products, thereby promoting agricultural exports to this East Asian country.

According to the Plant Protection Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), since 2018, Vietnam has initiated negotiations to open the Korean market for grapefruit. After two years of active exchanges, pest risk analysis and many rounds of technical negotiations, by April 2024, the Plant Protection Department of Vietnam and the Korean Animal and Plant Quarantine Department agreed on technical import conditions.

From August 2024, Vietnamese grapefruit will be officially allowed to be imported into Korea with the condition of checking samples of each shipment before customs clearance. By September 2024, Hoang Huy Company Limited exported the first batch of grapefruit to Korea with an output of 5 tons, opening the strategy to develop this product into a key commodity in the Korean market. In 2025, Hoang Huy aims to export 500 tons of grapefruit with an estimated turnover of 1.2 million USD (equivalent to about 30 billion VND).

In the big picture, South Korea is currently the fifth largest fruit export market of Vietnam (after China, the US, the EU and Japan). South Korean consumers increasingly favor nutritious tropical fruits, creating opportunities for Vietnamese grapefruit to compete with products from the US (oranges, apples) and Thailand (durian, rambutan).

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam's annual fruit output reaches more than 12 million tons, of which grapefruit reaches about 1.2 million tons. The average price of Vietnamese grapefruit exported to South Korea is 2.4 USD/kg, 30% higher than the price in China (1.8 USD/kg). With the above factors, Vietnamese grapefruit has great potential to expand exports to South Korea.

On the other hand, demand for fresh fruit products in Korea is also increasing. According to data from the Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI), the country's fresh fruit imports hit a record high of US$1.45 billion in 2024, marking a 20.1% increase from the previous year. This growth reflects the growing demand for imported fruit amid difficulties in domestic production due to adverse weather conditions and climate change.

Experts predict that the trend of fruit imports in Korea will continue to increase sharply. KREI estimates that the country's total fruit imports (including fresh, dried and frozen) will increase by 6.8% to 817,000 tons in 2025, reaching 865,000 tons by 2034, an average annual growth rate of 0.6%.

By the end of 2024, South Korea will remain Vietnam's third largest trading partner (after China and the US). Bilateral trade turnover in 2024 will reach about 82 billion USD, up 7.4% over the same period. Of which, Vietnam's key products exported to this market will grow well, such as coffee reaching 141 million USD, up 22% over the previous year; seafood reaching 810 million, up 2%; fresh fruits and vegetables reaching 319 million USD, up 40%.

Source: Mekong Asean