According to the General Department of Customs, in the first nine months of 2025, Vietnam earned nearly 2.77 billion USD from durian exports. In September alone, export turnover surged to 972 million USD - an all-time monthly record and a 44.6% increase compared to the same month in 2024.

The September spike coincided with peak harvest season in the Central Highlands, Vietnam’s primary durian-producing region.

Paradoxically, in that same month, Vietnamese companies spent 3.7 million USD on durian imports - a 200% increase from August and 16 times more than in September last year.

For the nine-month period, Vietnam imported 21.5 million USD worth of durians, up 139% year-on-year. Durian now ranks 12th among imported fruits and nuts by import value and is the third fastest-growing item in the category.

Speaking to VietNamNet, a representative from the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association explained that although Vietnam earns billions from exporting durian, the country still imports the fruit annually from Malaysia and Thailand to meet domestic consumption.

Thailand’s durians are typically imported whole via border trade, while Malaysia’s famed Musang King variety is usually brought in as frozen pulp.

“The Musang King durian is not widely grown in Vietnam, but consumer demand for it is quite strong,” the official said.

He added that the imported Musang King durian pulp commands a high price in the local market. Even importing just a few containers of this premium product can result in a sharp spike in import values, which partly explains why durian import value in September was 16 times higher than the same month last year.

Tam An