Chinese customs data showed Thailand exported nearly US$3.79 billion worth of durians to China in the first half of 2026, accounting for 81% of the market.
Vietnam ranked second during the first six months of 2026, with exports valued at $846 million, or 18% of total imports.
Thai durians continue to enjoy strong favor among Chinese consumers, supported by a well-established logistics and quality-control system that has helped build the fruit’s reputation, according to the South China Morning Post.
Customers select imported durians on promotion at a supermarket in Hongkou district, Shanghai, July 12, 2026. Photo by Imaginechina via AFP |
Vietnam, which received approval to export fresh durians to China in 2022, expanded shipments last year but has faced occasional quality-control challenges.
Malaysia, a relatively new entrant to China’s fresh durian market, exported $30.26 million worth of the fruit to China in the first half of 2026, up 342% from the same period in 2025.
Total durian import volume from all countries reached 1.07 million tonnes in the first half of 2026, up from 708,000 tonnes during the same period a year earlier.
Expanded services on the China-Laos Railway and the growth of Chinese e-commerce platforms have helped boost Southeast Asian durian exports to China, the world’s largest market, which consumes 90% of all durians globally.
Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam are “experiencing an oversupply” during the current peak durian harvest season as orchards reach full production and output expands faster than demand, said Lim Chin Khee, an adviser to the Durian Academy, a Malaysian institution that trains growers.
“Demand from China remains strong in the long term, but it has not expanded at the same pace as production, resulting in downward pressure on prices during the peak season,” Lim said.
Agricultural officials in Malaysia, where Lim said the maturation of durian trees planted six to 10 years ago has worsened the oversupply, have asked China’s General Administration of Customs to open a land-based shipping route, according to Malaysia’s state news agency Named.
Durian prices in China have fallen between 14% and 20% so far this year, according to estimates.
“Wholesale prices in China have softened due to increased supply from multiple origins, higher inventories and more cautious consumer spending,” Lim said.
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