China's General Administration of Customs (GACC), from June 1, 2026, fresh jackfruit (mit) formally authorized the import of Vietnamese fresh jackfruit (mit). Based on a protocol the two countries signed on November 27, 2025, and conditional on registration of producing areas and packing facilities, traceability under authority supervision, and 2% quarantine sampling before shipment, the export of fresh jackfruit to China, until now informal and limited, was upgraded to a regular channel. As an agricultural protocol with China concluded since the start of this year, it follows chili, passion fruit, rice bran and bird's nest, being the fifth.
Starting point: formal authorization from June 1
The authorization is based on the Fresh Jackfruit Export Protocol signed by Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and GACC. By this, fresh jackfruit from registered producing areas and facilities can now be regularly exported to mainland China if it meets the prescribed quarantine requirements. Full-scale market access as a fresh product adds a new corner to Vietnam's fruit export items to China.
The requirements the protocol sets
The protocol requires registration and approval by both countries' competent authorities for all orchards and packing facilities participating in the export. Orchards must build, under Vietnamese authority supervision, a consistent system of quality management and traceability. Before shipment, the Vietnamese authorities sample 2% of the cargo and perform quarantine, and if no violation is detected for one year, the sampling rate 1% is lowered.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Effective date | June 1, 2026 (protocol signed November 27, 2025) |
| Registration subject | Orchards and packing facilities (approval by both countries' authorities required) |
| System requirement | Consistent construction of quality management plus traceability |
| Quarantine | 2% sampling before shipment, to 1% after one year without violation |
| Positioning | The fifth protocol with China in 2026 |
Main producing areas: Tien Giang, Dong Nai, Dak Lak
Vietnam's jackfruit is produced in places such as Tien Giang province in the Mekong Delta, Dong Nai province in the south and Dak Lak province in the Central Highlands. The Mekong Delta in particular is the center of shipments, and ahead of the opening, collectors in Tien Giang are moving to secure high-quality fruit for Chinese buyers. On the other hand, a situation has also occurred in which collection points temporarily halted operation due to a shortage of inspection-lab capacity, and building the post-opening supply system is only halfway there.
Market: China's vigorous demand for tropical fruit
China's demand for high-quality tropical fruit remains strong. Although jackfruit is an item in which Vietnam has high production capacity, it had not used up its export potential. China's fruit imports are expected to approach about 15 million tonnes in 2026, and establishing a regular channel becomes a foothold into that vast market. The question is whether it can grow into the next mainstay fruit after durian and dragon fruit.
| Indicator | Details |
|---|---|
| Main growing regions | Tien Giang, Dong Nai, Dak Lak |
| China fruit imports (2026 forecast) | About 15 million tonnes |
| Fresh-produce exports, China share | 49.5% (largest market) |
| Challenge | Collection points temporarily halted due to inspection-lab shortage |
How the industry received it
The formal opening of fresh jackfruit is welcomed as a move that adds a regular fresh-product channel to exports to China, which had centered on frozen and processed goods. It lies on the extension of a flow in which protocols were concluded one after another for chili, passion fruit, rice bran and bird's nest, and the Vietnamese side is steadily advancing the diversification of fruit items. Because registration of producing areas and traceability are a precondition, however, there is also a view that the gap between regions that can comply and those that cannot will widen. The halt of collection-point operations already reflects that gap in compliance capacity.
Impact on readers
Jackfruit is still unfamiliar in Japan, but in Southeast Asia it is a fruit with thick distribution as confectionery, chips and frozen flesh. If a regular channel opens for China, the production and sorting systems of Vietnamese producing regions will be lifted a step further, and their quality standards could ripple into the sourcing of processing raw materials for Japan. A region arranged on the premise of traceability becomes a guarantee of trust in third-country markets as well.
Ripple effects on the industry and practice
The opening of fresh jackfruit is two sides of the same coin as China's new import rule, Decree No. 280, which took effect on the same June 1. While quarantine is tightened from uniform inspection to a risk basis, the market opens individually for items that meet the requirements. The key points producing regions should confirm are as follows.
| Points to confirm | Details |
|---|---|
| Producing-area registration | Whether orchards and packing facilities are registered with both countries' authorities |
| Traceability | Whether a quality-management system under authority supervision is functioning |
| Quarantine compliance | Whether sorting and pest control that can withstand 2% sampling can be done |
| Inspection capacity | Whether there is a shipment plan prepared for analysis-lab tightness |
Summary
The opening of fresh jackfruit to China is not merely the addition of one item. Only those who meet traceability and producing-area registration can enter the new market; the same logic as Decree No. 280 is quietly remaking the competitiveness of Vietnamese fruit.
Recommended related reading:
-China's GACC Decree No. 280 takes effect June 1: prior-registration obligation for 2,589 items
-Vietnamese green-skin pomelo exports to the US enter an expansion phase
-Vietnamese dragon fruit opens up the Middle East
Source: Việt Nam News / FreshPlaza
