Vietnam exports most of its durians to Chinese market
Hekou, a county in southwest China's Yunnan Province sitting on the border with Vietnam, is witnessing robust durian imports from Vietnam which has boosted trade between the two countries.
In August of last year, China approved import of fresh Vietnamese durian. Since then, the fruit has poured into the Chinese market, and the land port in Hekou has become a major distribution channel.
According to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association, the country exported durians worth 2.1 billion U.S. dollars between January and October, with nearly 1.9 billion coming from China.
China is currently Vietnam's main durian export market. Vietnam has 422 growing areas and 153 packaging facilities eligible to export the fruit to China.
Durian might be one of the most divisive fruits on the planet. Some hail it as "the king of fruits", while many shun it due to its pungent odor.
In China, people's affection for it is striking as they consume the world's largest amount, all sourced from Southeast Asia.
Han Tao, general manager of Hekou Sutao Trading Company, started his fruit import business in Hekou in 2018.
In October of last year, he imported his first batch of Vietnamese durians.
"We mainly import the variety called Ri-6, or 'gan yao' in Chinese. The first bite may offer a hint of bitterness, followed by a taste of sweetness, leaving your mouth full of strong durian flavor," said Han.
Han said so far, he has imported some 600 tons of durians from Vietnam, which have been distributed to different parts of China.
"Compared to durians from Thailand, Vietnamese durians are relatively inexpensive. However, their quality, taste, and shape are all exceptional. So I think they offer excellent value for the cost," said Han.
As the fruit's popularity continues to grow, customs across China are also stepping up efforts to improve clearance efficiency.
"With the application of related intelligent systems, clearance efficiency at Hekou Port has been improved by at least four times. Meanwhile, we've set up a 'green channel' for agricultural products and implement 24/7 appointment clearance mechanism for fresh and perishable goods, which are given priority for inspection and clearance," said Qin Jian, officer at Hekou Custom.
Industry insiders like Han said that under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade pact, they are optimistic about the future growth of the trade volume between China and Vietnam, especially that of durian.
They also hope that more policies in favor of them will be rolled out.
