Agricultural Exports to China Set a Record in 2024, Marking Strong Growth in Volume and Value – Explore New Trends and Opportunities for Vietnamese Businesses!
First and foremost, it is essential to affirm that one of the key priorities in economic, trade, and investment cooperation between Vietnam and China is the ongoing effort by both sides to maintain a stable, balanced, and sustainable growth trajectory. Both nations are actively working to accelerate and complete procedures to introduce more Vietnamese export products into China, especially agricultural and seafood products.
In recent years, China has consistently been identified as Vietnam’s largest and most crucial market for agricultural, forestry, and fishery exports. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), in the first nine months of 2024, Vietnam’s agricultural, forestry, and fishery export turnover to China reached $9.26 billion, with fruit and vegetable exports accounting for $3.4 billion, marking a 36% increase compared to the same period in 2023. With this performance, China has remained the largest export market for Vietnamese fruits and vegetables over the past nine months.
To date, Vietnam has 14 agricultural products officially exported to the Chinese market, including durian, bird’s nest, sweet potato, dragon fruit, longan, rambutan, mango, jackfruit, watermelon, banana, grass jelly, mangosteen, lychee, and passion fruit.
Vietnamese durian and dragon fruit are highly favored by Chinese consumers, with imports of these products from Vietnam accounting for approximately one-fifth of the total agricultural imports from ASEAN.
Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyễn Hồng Diên stated that the ministry has been working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to negotiate with China for expanded market access for additional Vietnamese fruits and vegetables, such as green skin pomelo, fresh coconut, avocado, pineapple, star apple, lemon, and cantaloupe.
Additionally, the ministry has proposed measures to enhance efficiency and regulate the clearance speed of import-export goods at border checkpoints between Vietnam and China. This is particularly important for seasonal agricultural and aquatic products, as well as accelerating the transition to official export channels.
In the first three quarters of the year, Vietnam’s export turnover of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products to China exceeded $8.7 billion, with agricultural products alone accounting for 70%, setting a historic record.
Fruit and vegetable exports to China in the first nine months of this year reached their highest value in decades. Their export value is several times higher than that of the four other countries in the top five—the United States, South Korea, Japan, and the Netherlands.
In Q4, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development forecasts that agricultural exports will set multiple new records.
In the first three quarters of this year, Vietnam’s export turnover of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products to China exceeded $8.7 billion, marking a 16.7% increase compared to the same period in 2022. Agricultural products alone accounted for 70%, reaching a record-high $6.2 billion. Fruit and vegetable exports surged 160% year-over-year, with durian exports alone reaching $1.5 billion.
Compared to 2022, the market share of Vietnamese fruit and vegetable imports in China has increased from 43% of total agricultural, forestry, and fishery exports to 65% this year.
Setting a record-high export value for fruits and vegetables in decades is largely due to Vietnam signing multiple export protocols for official fruit exports to China. Geographical advantages, fast delivery times, and low costs have also given Vietnamese fruits a strong competitive edge.
However, many experts believe that dragon fruit, pomelo, and longan are now facing intense competition from China’s domestic production and other ASEAN countries. Additionally, some products still suffer from inconsistent quality and incorrect geographical codes, posing challenges for exporters.
Ensuring consistent product quality, complying with food safety regulations, enhancing national agricultural branding, and expanding sales through e-commerce platforms and supermarket chains are urgent priorities amid the fierce competition in the Chinese market.
However, the results achieved so far do not yet match the full potential, demand, and strengths of both sides. According to Vũ Bá Phú, Director of the Trade Promotion Agency (Ministry of Industry and Trade), while 14 agricultural products are officially exported to China, most other products still rely on border trade (informal channels).
Meanwhile, China’s demand for fruit consumption remains enormous, and Vietnam has an abundant supply of high-quality specialty fruits. Additionally, both countries benefit from bilateral and multilateral trade agreements, which further facilitate trade. Moreover, Vietnam shares a 1,450 km land and water border with China, giving it a logistical cost advantage over other exporting countries. This presents significant untapped potential for fruit businesses in both nations to explore and maximize.
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