Vietnam's Fresh Durian Exports Target New Record with Indian Market Access

Vietnam's fresh durian has officially gained access to the Indian market, adding the Southeast Asian nation to the list of countries permitted to export the fruit to the South Asian country. India will waive additional phytosanitary declaration requirements on the phytosanitary certificate and impose no special import conditions for the product. If the Central Highlands harvest proceeds smoothly and pending issues related to growing-area and packing-house codes are resolved promptly, exports could generate an additional US$2 billion in the remaining months of the year, pushing the whole-year figure beyond US$4 billion, up from US$3.8 billion last year. Durian remains the sector’s biggest growth driver, accounting for an estimated 35-40% of total fruit and vegetable export revenue so far this year and as much as 55-60% in July. This success highlights Vietnam's strategy of specializing in certain products and diversifying export markets to accelerate economic growth. In line with its goal to strengthen the competitiveness of its agricultural sector, Vietnam views accelerating mechanization as an inevitable trend. Business representatives said mechanization not only helps reduce reliance on manual labour but also improves production efficiency, shortens planting and harvesting times, reduces post-harvest losses and enhances the quality of agricultural products. For rice-producing countries like Vietnam, they noted, accelerating mechanisation is an inevitable trend to strengthen the competitiveness of the agricultural sector. In other growth-driving sectors, Vietnam's wood industry has grown rapidly in recent years, with exports projected to reach US$17.2 billion in 2025. Wood and wood products are now shipped to more than 140 countries and territories, with key markets including the US, Japan, China, the European Union (EU), and the Republic of Korea. This indicates Vietnam's establishment as a crucial processing hub in the global supply chain. Furthermore, Vietnam's total import-export turnover climbed 28.1% year-on-year to US$659.58 billion during the January–July period. Exports were valued at US$319.53 billion (up 21.7%), while imports rose 34.8% to US$340.05 billion. Agro-forestry-aquatic product exports reached nearly US$42.8 billion in the same period, achieving almost 60% of the annual target of US$74 billion. Foreign direct investment (FDI) also remained robust, with registered capital attracting over US$38 billion in the first seven months, an increase of nearly 58% year-on-year. Notably, the growth was driven by large-scale, high-tech projects rather than a surge in the number of new investments, signaling an improvement in the quality of capital inflows. Vietnam continues to diversify and strengthen its domestic economy by enhancing international trade relations and promoting economic growth. Economic ties with China remain significant, with efforts underway to strengthen cross-border payment systems. NAPAS, Weixin Pay, and BIDV will study the rollout of the reverse payment service, enabling users of Vietnamese banking applications and e-wallets to make QR code payments in China, with the aim of completing a comprehensive cross-border payment ecosystem between the two countries. Source: VietnamPlus English