China’s Durian Imports Surge 47% Amid Southeast Asian Supply Glut

Chinese imports of the pungent fruit have increased by 47 per cent in the first half of 2026, prompting a sharp decline in prices

· China's durian imports increased 47% year-on-year in the first half of 2026, reaching 1.07 million tonnes.

· Thailand remained the largest supplier, exporting US$3.79 billion worth of durians and retaining an 81% market share.

· Vietnam ranked second with US$846 million in exports, accounting for 18% of China's imports.

· Malaysia's fresh durian exports to China jumped 342% year-on-year to US$30.26 million.

· Increased production in Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam has created an oversupply, leading to lower prices.

· Durian prices in China have reportedly fallen 14–20% this year due to higher supply and cautious consumer spending.

· Thailand continues to enjoy a strong reputation in China because of its efficient logistics and quality-control systems.

· Vietnam has expanded exports since gaining access to the Chinese market in 2022, but has faced occasional quality-control issues.

· The China–Laos Railway and growing e-commerce have improved the speed and volume of durian exports to China.

· Malaysia has requested China to approve a land-based transport route to reduce delivery time.

· Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim plans to discuss falling durian prices with Chinese Premier Li Qiang during his August visit to Beijing.

· Vietnam is working with China to further improve quality standards and expand exports.

· Chinese customs officials said expanding import sources has increased consumer choice and made durians more affordable.

[ABS News Service/23.07.2026]

China’s durian imports rose 47 per cent, year on year, in the first half of 2026, with Thailand and Malaysia posting particularly strong gains, according to customs data, as Southeast Asian exporters offloaded a glut of the fruit that had sparked a price drop.

Thailand exported nearly US$3.79 billion worth of the pungent spiky fruit shipped to China in the first half of 2026, the Chinese customs data showed, taking an 81 per cent share of the market. Thai shipments reached US$2.56 billion in the first half of 2025, also nearly 81 per cent of the total.

Vietnam came in second place over the first six months of 2026 with US$846 million, or 18 per cent, of the total inbound shipments.

Thai durians maintain an edge in preference for Chinese consumers, with a mature logistics and quality-control infrastructure that has given the fruit a sterling reputation. Vietnam, which received approval to ship fresh durians to China in 2022, ramped up exports last year but has been stung by occasional quality-control issues.

Malaysia, a relative newcomer in the Chinese fresh durian market, shipped US$30.26 million worth of the fruit to China in the first six months of this year, up 342 per cent compared with the same period in 2025, the data showed.

The import volume in the first half of 2026, from all countries, was 1.07 million tonnes, up from 708,000 in the first six months of last year.

Expansion of China-Laos Railway services and Chinese e-commerce have elevated Southeast Asia’s durian exports to China – the world’s biggest market with 90 per cent of all durians consumed.

Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam are “experiencing an oversupply” during the main durian harvest season – in progress now – as orchards reach full production and grow 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. Southeast Asian media outlets estimated price drops in China of 14 to 20 per cent year-to-date.

“Wholesale prices in China have softened due to increased supply from multiple origins, higher inventories and more cautious consumer spending.”

Agricultural officials in Malaysia, where Lim said that a maturation of durian trees planted six to 10 years ago was exacerbating the glut, have asked China’s General Administration of Customs (GAC) to open a land-based shipping route, the Southeast Asian country’s state news agency Bernama reported on July 2.

The land route would shorten delivery times.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has separately promised durian growers in the southern state of Johor that he would discuss falling durian prices with Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a visit to Beijing in August.

The Vietnamese government is also still working with China to boost durian exports by improving quality, said Nguyen Thanh Trung, a political scientist at Fulbright University in Vietnam.

At a press briefing on Wednesday, GAC deputy director Wang Jun pointed to durians as an example of how expanding import channels had boosted consumer choices.

“Sources of imported durians have continued to expand,” Wang said. “The fruit is now widely available at neighbourhood fruit shops, offering consumers more choices at more affordable prices.”