Industry News

In Da Lat, Lam Dong, Vietnam, the pharmaceutical company Ladophar produces artichokes in partnership with farmers, and we interpret, from the perspective of Japanese sourcing and ingredient development, its move to sort the leaves, buds, stems, and roots into tea, extracts, and foods and buy them to pharmaceutical specifications.

Vietnam's vegetable and fruit exports reached US$5.87 billion in eight months. Cashew nuts (+111%) and passion fruit (+25.6%) grew, while dragon fruit, mango, and banana fell below the previous year. We read the item reshuffle Japanese buyers should keep in mind.

Vietnam has set its 2026 durian export target at about US$4 billion. India opened up fresh durian in July, and diversification away from 95% dependence on China is advancing. Growing-area codes total more than 1,800 cumulatively, and electronic traceability has been running since July. We read the changes in supply capacity and price negotiations from the Japanese importer's point of view.

Vietnam's seafood exports are expected to exceed US$12 billion for the full year 2026. With cod and Alaska pollock stuck in a high price range amid a global white-fish shortage, the competitiveness of Vietnamese pangasius, which can be produced stably through farming, is rising. We have laid out, with figures, the points that can be used in Japanese food-service and private-brand sourcing.

Vietnam's seafood exports in January–August 2026 were about US$8 billion. Shrimp is still first, but the lead in growth has shifted to crab (+34%) and shellfish (+30.8%). We read the material for Japanese seafood buyers to lock in new-category Vietnamese sources while they can.

US tariffs caused Vietnam's shrimp and pangasius exports to the United States to plunge in August, and the major seafood company Godaco switched its sales channels to Asia. With China and Hong Kong leading the growth, a good opportunity has arisen for Japanese distribution and sourcing to review prices and trading terms.

At the Dak Lak Durian Festival 2026, government-led "1 village, 1 KOL/KOC" live streaming sold about 262 tonnes and 20.4 billion dong across 8 villages. From the design of farm-direct sales that ran alongside a 350-tonne auction, we organize the points Japan's farm-direct and e-commerce players should adapt.

Twenty-two Vietnamese companies exhibited at 24 booths at Asia Fruit Logistica 2026 in Hong Kong. We lay out the real names of exhibitors targeting India and the Middle East, and the sourcing routes Japanese produce buyers should read.

For Vietnamese coffee, EUDR-compliant lots trade at US$50 more per tonne. Some 35–40% of supply is compliant, and over 30% of the cultivated area holds sustainability certification. For Japanese roasters and buyers, we lay out the practicalities of how certification compliance ties directly to a price premium.

Vietnam's durian exports reached US$1.47 billion in January to July 2026, but the value is skewed toward fresh fruit, with frozen stuck at only about 20% of the fresh-fruit level. We unpack the room for Japan to fill the thinness of processing and branding through processing and OEM supply.