According to the General Department of Customs, Vietnam’s durian export revenue reached $3.21 billion last year, marking a 43.2% increase from the previous year and setting a historic record.

Durian accounted for a staggering 44.94% of the total fruit and vegetable export value, significantly driving the overall sector’s growth. This pushed the total fruit and vegetable export turnover to $7.15 billion in 2024.

However, as of February 15, Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports had only reached $525 million, a 17.2% decline from the same period last year.

Most notably, durian exports as of mid-February amounted to only 3,500 tons - a sharp 80% drop compared to the same period in 2024, according to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), as reported by Tien Phong.

China tightens inspections, causing a major setback

The sharp decline in exports is primarily due to China tightening inspections for the prohibited substance Auramine O in durians.

Speaking with VietNamNet on February 20, Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, acknowledged that durian exports to China have faced “complications” this year. The country’s customs authorities are now inspecting 100% of durian shipments entering the market.

Additionally, the extended Lunar New Year holiday at the end of January and early February, which lasted nine days, contributed to a temporary slowdown in durian and other agricultural exports.

Regarding Auramine O, Nguyen explained that the issue initially stemmed from Thai durians. Some shipments from Thailand were found to contain the banned substance, prompting China to impose stricter inspections on all imported durians. As a result, Vietnamese shipments were also affected.

At the start of the year, many durian shipments were rejected due to a lack of Auramine O testing certificates. Some exporters temporarily suspended shipments while waiting for clearer regulatory guidance.

Moreover, China’s General Administration of Customs has also issued warnings regarding certain batches of fresh fruit, including durian and jackfruit, exported from Vietnam. These shipments reportedly failed to meet China’s phytosanitary and food safety requirements.

Fraudulent use of plantation region codes and packing facility codes to bypass export regulations remains an issue in the industry.

Tighter inspections in Taiwan and the EU add to the challenge

Recently, the Vietnam Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei reported that Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended its heightened inspection measures for Vietnamese durian imports.

According to the FDA’s announcement, to ensure food safety, Taiwan (China) will continue to inspect every batch of fresh durians imported from Vietnam until April 30.

This follows a decision in August last year, when Taiwan’s FDA mandated batch-by-batch inspections of Vietnamese durians after detecting quality issues in four shipments. That measure was initially set to last until February 11, 2025.

At the end of December, Vietnam’s durian industry received another blow when the European Union (EU) announced it would increase inspection rates for Vietnamese durian imports from 10% to 20% due to excessive pesticide residue detected in several shipments.

The need for stricter compliance and better crisis management

The General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association emphasized that tighter phytosanitary and safety inspections are a normal part of international agricultural trade. However, these developments serve as a wake-up call for farmers and businesses. He stressed the need for stricter adherence to safety standards to avoid losing market share in key export destinations.

Government agencies must also take a more proactive role in monitoring and guiding farmers and exporters. More effective dissemination of updated export requirements could prevent accidental violations that might harm the entire industry.

“When Thailand’s durian exports faced issues due to Auramine O contamination, their government immediately launched a nationwide campaign to resolve the problem. With coordinated efforts and decisive action, they quickly restored access to the Chinese market,” Nguyen said. “Vietnam should learn from this approach in handling similar crises.”

Vietnam already has multiple laboratories recognized by China for Auramine O testing. Shipments with valid test certificates are cleared for export without issues. The industry is beginning to recover, and export activity is expected to stabilize from March onwards.

“The price of durian in farming regions, which had dropped due to recent setbacks, is now gradually increasing,” Nguyen added.

In an early February meeting, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development called for stronger oversight of phytosanitary standards for exported goods. Authorities were urged to actively monitor, inspect, and take swift action against violations related to product quality and food safety.

At the same time, the ministry emphasized the need to negotiate the removal of technical trade barriers and expand Vietnam’s agricultural export markets both domestically and internationally.

Tam An