Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports have climbed to a record estimated value of US$8.5 billion this year, reflecting strong global demand and marking the highest level ever achieved by the sector.
According to customs data, shipments were worth about US$750 million in December alone, while exports in the first 11 months reached US$7.75 billion, up 17.3% year on year.
The performance signals sustained momentum for Vietnam's fruit and vegetable trade and provides a solid base for the industry to surpass the US$10 billion milestone in the near future.
Export growth has been driven mainly by six key fruits — durian, banana, mango, jackfruit, coconut and grapefruit. Among them, durian continued to dominate, particularly in the Chinese market where demand surged sharply. Durian exports were estimated at more than US$4 billion this year, making it the standout contributor to the sector's overall earnings.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment's Department of Planning and Finance noted that average export prices for many major agricultural products rose towards the end of the year, further lifting export revenues. Fruit and vegetable shipments also rebounded strongly in September and October after earlier bottlenecks affecting durian exports were resolved.
China remained Vietnam's largest market, with fruit and vegetable exports there valued at nearly US$5 billion in the first 11 months, about 15% higher than a year earlier and already exceeding the full-year record of US$4.63 billion set in 2024.
Exports to the United States reached US$499.2 million, up 56%, while shipments to South Korea totalled US$284.2 million.
Vietnam has consolidated its position as China's second-largest supplier of fresh and processed fruit and vegetables, with exports to the market rising 26.9% year on year. Its market share increased to 22% in October, from 18.5% a year earlier.
The strong performance of fruit and vegetable exports has also contributed to a broader improvement in Vietnam's agricultural trade. Total agricultural exports are estimated to have reached nearly US$70 billion this year, signalling a shift away from growth driven purely by volume towards higher quality, deeper processing and more sustainable development.
The Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association highlighted robust growth in processed products such as canned and dried fruit and vegetables. This segment recorded double-digit growth and is now valued at around US$1.65 billion, supported by rising investment in modern processing facilities and raw material zones.
Over the past three years, Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports have expanded rapidly, increasing from US$3.34 billion in 2022 to US$5.6 billion in 2023, and then to US$7.2 billion last year, largely fuelled by durian shipments to China.
To meet increasingly stringent import requirements, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will pilot a traceability system for durian from January 1 to June 30, 2026.
The scheme will establish a unified platform covering production, purchasing, processing, packaging, transport and distribution.
Products will be tagged with QR codes or other electronic authentication technologies such as NFC or RFID, enabling real-time tracking to improve transparency, quality control and food safety across the supply chain.
