{"id":1081,"date":"2026-05-10T19:28:38","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T10:28:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/industry_news\/frozen-durian-us\/"},"modified":"2026-05-10T19:58:25","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T10:58:25","slug":"frozen-durian-us","status":"publish","type":"industry_news","link":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/industry_news\/frozen-durian-us\/","title":{"rendered":"Frozen durian leads second-quarter exports\u2014a fresh-coconut protocol also takes effect, with US$10 billion a year in range"},"content":{"rendered":"

According to the latest trends released by Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and related industry bodies, the protocol for frozen durian exports to China entered its full-operation phase in the second quarter (April-June 2026), and by overlapping with the harvest peak of Mekong Delta Ri6 durian, Vietnamese frozen durian exports are projected to accelerate sharply. The fresh-coconut protocol that took effect in the same period is also a boost, and an annual export scale of over US$10 billion, exceeding 2025's produce exports of US$8.6 billion, has come into realistic view. Durian shipments to the US and Japan in processed forms such as frozen cut, puree, and frozen whole are surging, and the export structure, once centered on fresh fruit, is shifting to a frozen mainstay.<\/p>\n

News details<\/h2>\n

According to industry trends reported by Vietnam Plus in April 2026, Vietnam's 2025 produce export value was US$8.6 billion, a record high for the third year running. For 2026, it sets a target of over US$10 billion. The second quarter is the season when Bac Giang lychee in the north, Ri6 durian in the Mekong Delta, and Hoa Loc mango in the south and Central Highlands reach harvest at the same time, making it the peak of export volume.<\/p>\n

The protocol for frozen durian and fresh coconut concluded in August 2024 by Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and China's General Administration of Customs progressed in operation step by step thereafter, and entered its full steady-operation phase from the second quarter of 2026. Vietnam further signed five export protocols with China in 2025 (passion fruit, fresh jackfruit, etc.), and exports of fresh pomelo to Australia were also opened.<\/p>\n

For the US, as of January 2026 durian export value rose 529% year on year to the scale of US$3.55 million, and processed forms such as fresh-frozen, cut, and puree are becoming a cash cow. Shipments to Japan are also growing, centered on frozen durian, frozen mango, and frozen lychee.<\/p>\n

Background: the structural factors driving the shift from fresh fruit to processed forms<\/h2>\n

Behind the shift of Vietnamese produce exports from fresh-fruit-centered to a combined use of frozen and processed forms are several structural factors. First, the tightening of China's quarantine and pesticide-residue inspection<\/a> has raised the clearance risk and lead-time uncertainty of fresh fruit, so the benefit of reducing risk by moving to processed forms has grown larger.<\/p>\n

Second, processed forms are superior to fresh fruit in shelf life, logistics resilience, and price stability, and suit distant markets such as the US, Japan, the EU, and the Middle East. Frozen durian can be stored for 45-60 days in a reefer container at minus 18 degrees or below, giving flexibility incomparable with fresh fruit's freshness of 7-10 days.<\/p>\n

Third, adding value. Frozen cut, puree, powder, and the like have a unit price 3-5 times that of primary products, directly linked to improving Vietnamese processors' profitability. Ri6 durian, Hoa Loc mango, and passion fruit in particular have high processing suitability, and demand is growing in the dessert, dairy, and bakery markets for Japan.<\/p>\n

The full picture of 2026 produce exports in figures (converting at VND 170 = \u00a51)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Item<\/th>\n2025 actual<\/th>\n2026 outlook<\/th>\nNotes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Total produce export value<\/td>\nUS$8.6 billion<\/td>\nOver US$10 billion<\/td>\nUpdating the record high for the third year running<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Main items<\/td>\nDurian, banana, pomelo, passion fruit, jackfruit, coconut<\/td>\n\u2014<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Frozen durian protocol (China)<\/td>\nConcluded August 2024<\/td>\nSteady operation from the second quarter<\/td>\nIncludes cadmium and auramine O inspection<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fresh coconut protocol (China)<\/td>\nConcluded August 2024<\/td>\nSteady operation from the second quarter<\/td>\nMain growing area: Ben Tre province<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
New protocols in 2025<\/td>\nFive (for China)<\/td>\n\u2014<\/td>\nIncludes passion fruit and fresh jackfruit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Durian exports to the US (January)<\/td>\n\u2014<\/td>\nUS$3.55 million (+529% YoY)<\/td>\nMainly frozen and processed forms<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mainstay harvest items of the second quarter<\/td>\nBac Giang lychee, Mekong Delta Ri6 durian, Hoa Loc mango<\/td>\n\u2014<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Frozen transport conditions<\/td>\nReefer at minus 18 degrees or below, 45-60 days storage<\/td>\n\u2014<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Processed unit-price multiple<\/td>\n3-5 times fresh fruit<\/td>\nCut, puree, powder<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Industry and local reaction<\/h2>\n

Dang Phuc Nguyen, secretary-general of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, rated it, saying, 'Expanding exports in frozen and processed forms is a strategically important matter that reduces the risk of dependence on the Chinese market and realizes market diversification to the US, Japan, the EU, and the Middle East.' The association points out that achieving US$10 billion in exports for the full year 2026 makes processors' capital investment and the development of frozen-warehouse bases indispensable.<\/p>\n

An official of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment commented that, with the second-quarter harvest peak and the steady operation of the frozen durian protocol overlapping, it enters not a one-off export spike but a structural export-expansion phase. The view is that the Ri6 durian growing areas of the Mekong Delta and the Central Highlands in particular will be the core, with Ben Tre fresh coconut and northern Bac Giang lychee supporting the second-quarter 2026 export acceleration in complementary roles.<\/p>\n

The response on the processor side is also active. Vinamit (founded 1988, with three frozen plants in Dong Nai and Dak Lak provinces and a scale of about 22,000 tonnes a year) develops frozen and freeze-dried durian products for the US, Japan, and Southeast Asia, and the expansion of its processing capacity continues in 2026. Nafoods Tay Nguyen, under the Nafoods Group, had the investment arrangements for an advanced processing complex with a raw-material processing capacity on the scale of 100,000 tonnes\/year in Gia Lai province approved by the local government (source: Vietnam Plus \/ Vietnam News). Expansion investment in frozen warehouses is also coming one after another in Ho Chi Minh City, Long An province, and Tien Giang province. Japanese trading houses are also increasing long-term contracts for frozen durian and frozen mango, and on-site surveys by their produce departments are becoming more active.<\/p>\n

Practical information for Japanese agriculture stakeholders and importers<\/h2>\n

For Japanese frozen-food makers, confectionery makers, restaurant chains, and convenience-store OEM, Vietnamese processed produce becomes an important procurement category in 2026. On the practical side, the following points are important.<\/p>\n

First, using processed forms for different purposes. Frozen durian circulates in the market in four forms, whole, cut, puree, and powder, and you need to select the optimal form by use. For sweets and dessert uses, puree and powder; for commercial bakeries, cut; and for hotels and high-end restaurants, whole is standard.<\/p>\n

Second, hygiene and pesticide-residue standards. Vietnamese processors are premised on HACCP and ISO 22000 certification, and at import a three-piece set of a CoA (certificate of analysis), a phytosanitary certificate (PC), and a certificate of origin (CO) is essential. On the Japanese side, it is desirable to carry out cadmium, pesticide-residue, and microbiological testing on a lot-by-lot basis in-house.<\/p>\n

Third, procurement timing. In the second quarter (April-June), supply volume is large, so the unit price tends to fall, a chance for a lock-in contract. Conversely, in the fourth quarter supply thins and the unit price rises. For an annual contract, it is realistic to build in a clause to review the unit price each half-year.<\/p>\n

Fourth, candidate suppliers. As major makers of frozen and freeze-dried durian, Vinamit (founded 1988, with bases in Dong Nai, Dak Lak, and Kien Giang provinces) has a track record in the Japanese market too, and Nafoods Tay Nguyen (Gia Lai province, raw-material processing capacity on the scale of 100,000 tonnes\/year) is developing an advanced processing base. Because multiple companies besides these are advancing packing-house registration under the protocol for China, at the time of negotiations one will want to be sure to check the registration lists of Vietnam's General Department of Customs and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.<\/p>\n

Ripple effects on the industry: the transformation of the supply chain and growing-area structure<\/h2>\n

In the process of Vietnamese produce exports reaching the US$10 billion scale, the supply chain and growing-area structure of the whole industry transform greatly. First, a shift of capital investment to processors. Because processed exports carry higher added value than fresh exports, the Vietnamese government and local governments are accelerating the development of processing parks. New frozen-processing bases are coming one after another in the Mekong Delta, Long An province, Tien Giang province, and Ben Tre province.<\/p>\n

Second, cold-chain investment. The development of reefer containers at minus 18 degrees or below, frozen warehouses, and growing-area collection bases advances, and the frozen-container handling volume of Vietnam's ports (Ho Chi Minh port, Cai Mep port, Hai Phong port) is projected to surge. For Japanese logistics operators and frozen-warehouse operators, it becomes an opportunity for establishing local subsidiaries, JVs, and 3PL contracts.<\/p>\n

Third, the upgrading of the growing-area structure. The spread of VietGAP and GlobalGAP certification, the expansion of code-number registration (packing houses and orchards), and the digitization of production history (including the use of blockchain) advance. These are preconditions for exports to Japan and the EU and become a source of export competitiveness.<\/p>\n

Fourth, risk dispersion. As the break from China dependence advances, market diversification to the US, Japan, the EU, the Middle East, South Korea, and Southeast Asian countries accelerates. The use of FTAs such as RCEP, CPTPP, and EVFTA also expands, and tariff preferences and the optimization of rules of origin become important themes.<\/p>\n

Practical information summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Item<\/th>\nDetails<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
2025 total produce export value<\/td>\nUS$8.6 billion (record high for the third year running)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2026 target<\/td>\nOver US$10 billion<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Second-quarter mainstay items<\/td>\nBac Giang lychee, Ri6 durian, Hoa Loc mango<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Protocols (for China)<\/td>\nFrozen durian and fresh coconut (concluded August 2024, steady operation from the second quarter)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Durian to the US<\/td>\nUS$3.55 million in January 2026, +529% YoY<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Processed forms<\/td>\nWhole, cut, puree, powder (by use)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Documents required at import<\/td>\nCoA, phytosanitary certificate (PC), certificate of origin (CO)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Required certifications<\/td>\nHACCP\u3001ISO22000\u3001VietGAP\u3001GlobalGAP<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Main processing bases<\/td>\nMekong Delta, Long An province, Tien Giang province, Ben Tre province<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Procurement opportunity<\/td>\nSecond quarter (April-June); unit price rises in the fourth quarter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Summary<\/h2>\n

With the steady second-quarter operation of the frozen durian and fresh coconut protocols and the overlap of the mainstay harvest seasons of lychee, mango, and durian, Vietnamese produce exports have a high likelihood of entering the over-US$10-billion range in 2026. The shift of the center of gravity from fresh fruit to frozen and processed forms is a structural transformation that advances, at the same time, the reduction of China-dependence risk, diversification to the US, Japan, and EU markets, and the value-adding of growing areas and processors. For Japanese frozen-food makers, confectionery makers, food service, convenience-store OEM, and logistics operators, it is a good opportunity for procurement diversification, securing private-brand ingredients, and cold-chain investment, and an annual-contract strategy that makes use of the second-quarter unit-price advantage becomes the key to competitive advantage.<\/p>\n

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