Vietnam’s vegetable and fruit exports to Thailand plummeted by 60% year-on-year to US$105 million in the first 11 months of 2025 even as shipments to other markets jumped.
There were multiple causes for the decline, one of them being Thailand’s tightened border policy amid its recent conflict with Cambodia, which has disrupted transportation and customs clearance, Dang Phuc Nguyen, secretary general of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said.
It has also been strengthening protection measures, he said.
Thailand used to import Vietnamese frozen durian for re-export to China, but no longer since Vietnam has received permits to export the product directly to China, he added.
The decline dragged Thailand down to ninth place in the list of Vietnam’s export markets from third last year, according to the customs department.
A durian in Can Tho City. Photo by Read/Manh Khuong |
But exports to other markets such as Malaysia (77%), the U.S. (56%), the Netherlands (43%), and Australia (28%) rose steeply.
Total exports went up 17% to $7.76 billion, with China remaining the largest market, accounting for 64% of the total value.
Vietnam’s exports to Thailand mainly comprise fresh and frozen fruits such as durian, longan, lychee, dragon fruit, pomelo, rambutan, passion fruit, star apple, custard apple, and coconuts for processing.
In Thailand, they are both consumed domestically and used as inputs for processing and export.
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