"Chinese Consumers Are Devouring It"... Durian Prices Soar Due to Explosive Demand

What If Imports Are Halted for Political Reasons? Concerns Over Vietnam

Recently, as China has become deeply obsessed with durian and is securing supply volumes, the exporting country Vietnam is taking a cautious stance.

Despite increased import volume, demand cannot keep up... Shortage phenomenon and price rise

[Image source=Pixabay]

According to data from the China General Administration of Customs on the 1st, China imported a total of 91,400 tons of fresh durian in the first quarter of this year. This is a 154% increase compared to the same period last year. In particular, an additional 129,700 tons of durian entered China in April alone.

However, the explosive demand for durian in China has not been met, causing durian prices within China to surge. The Chinese Daily Economic News reported, "Since the end of April, durian prices nationwide have been rising," adding, "Until two weeks ago, the retail price of Thai durian did not exceed 33 yuan per 500g, but now it is over 50 yuan."

The media also reported that durian shortages are occurring both online and offline. On 'Hema Xiansheng,' Alibaba's largest fresh food e-commerce platform in China, durians were recently sold out. Offline, high-quality durians have already sold out early, leaving only durians of somewhat lower quality.

As durian's popularity has continued for several years, China is accelerating domestic durian production to secure 'durian independence.' Since the 1950s, China has attempted durian cultivation centered on Hainan, the southernmost island close to Southeast Asia. This year, China is preparing for its first durian harvest. According to China's state-run CCTV, Hainan plans to release about 2,450 tons of durian to the market in June.

However, since the regions producing Chinese durian are limited, it is difficult to rapidly increase production volume, and compared to Thai durian and others, the quality is inferior, so it is expected to be difficult to gain a meaningful market share for the time being.

'Export boom' but Vietnam cannot fully rejoice

It is reported that Vietnam is raising its vigilance in response to China's durian craze.

According to Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun on the 31st, as China increases durian imports, the number of farms in Vietnam switching from rice farming to durian cultivation has increased.

In response, the Vietnamese government issued a warning in March against unrestricted durian production. This was due to concerns that the Chinese government has previously abruptly halted agricultural imports for political reasons.

In 2020, when the US announced the removal of preferential treatment for Hong Kong, China banned imports of US soybeans and pork through state-owned enterprises. In the same year, in response to Australia's call for an investigation into the origin of COVID-19, China blocked imports of wine, pork, and other products.

From 2021 to 2022, China also banned imports of Taiwanese pineapples, fish, and other products as a means of increasing political pressure on Taiwan.

The media explained, "China and Vietnam are engaged in a territorial dispute in the South China Sea," adding, "There is a view within Vietnam that China uses import decisions as a weapon, so Vietnam is trying to avoid excessive dependence on China."