Vietnam’s durian exports surge in Q1 as price instability remains

The strong recovery of Vietnam’s durian exports was driven mainly by rapid growth in higher-priced frozen durian shipments, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.

Total export volume exceeded 80,000 tonnes, including about 68,500 tonnes of fresh durian and nearly 11,600 tonnes of frozen durian.

Frozen durian was a key driver of export value growth. In the same period, the average export price of frozen durian reached about $4,302 per tonne, up more than 20 percent compared to the previous year and about 18–22 percent higher than fresh durian.

Exports to major non-traditional markets also expanded significantly, with shipments to the United States rising more than 107 percent, South Korea up nearly 262 percent, Australia up over 40 percent, and Japan up nearly 12 percent compared to the same period in 2025.

Despite the strong export performance, domestic prices for fresh durian remain volatile, while the largest export market, China, is still considered risky due to unstable purchasing policies.

In southern Vietnam, Ri6 durian is currently being bought at VND40,000–49,000 ($1.5-1.9) per kilogram for grade A and VND30,000–35,000 ($1.1-1.3) for grade B, an increase of VND5,000–7,000 ($0.2-0.3) from the previous week.

In contrast, Thai durian is priced at VND76,000–81,000 ($2.9-3.1) per kilogram for grade A and VND55,000–62,000 ($2.1-2.4) for grade B, down about VND3,000 ($0.1) per kilogram.

After a period of sharp price declines that caused losses for many Ri6 growers, prices have recently recovered somewhat. However, they remain well below previous peak levels.

Dang Phuc Nguyen, secretary general of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the recent price recovery is mainly due to more stable demand from China and a slight decline in Ri6 supply in the Mekong Delta.

He noted that the market remains fragile.

He also warned that issues such as cadmium contamination and excessive Auramine O residue continue to affect exports to China, contributing to price instability.

Increasing supply and overlapping harvest seasons with Thailand are also putting pressure on prices.

Industry sources said China still accounts for around 90 percent of Vietnam’s fresh durian exports.

However, frequent changes in import policies continue to create uncertainty in pricing and demand.

After the Mekong Delta harvest, the southeast region and the Central Highlands are expected to enter peak season, in May–July and August–November, respectively, with large output mainly from Thai durian varieties.

This raises continued concerns over price drops, highlighting the need for stricter cultivation standards, improved planning of growing areas, and stronger testing and compliance capacity.