Durian is increasingly popular among Chinese consumers.— VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam's durian exports to China witnessed a significant surge in the first quarter of 2024, according to statistics of trade via the Youyi Guan border gate cited by China's Xinhua News Agency.

Specifically, Việt Nam exported 35,000 tonnes of durian to China during the period, valued at nearly US$1.77 million. China imported a total of 48,000 tonnes of durian worth some $2.56 million through the Youyi Guan border gate.

Li Youyang, Director of Trade at Guangxi Baiguoyuan Technology Co Ltd attributed the rise in durian sales to several key factors, saying that with continuous improvements in import procedures and the adoption of advanced cold storage technology, the company's durian sales in the first quarter increased by 20 per cent annually, and prices were 30-40 per cent lower than in previous years. As a result, many of its durian stores have run out of stock.

Liu Minkun from the Guangxi University pointed out a confluence of factors driving the popularity of durian from ASEAN member countries among Chinese consumers, including high product quality, strong supply chain advantages, positive bilateral relations, e-commerce boom and logistics systems. — VNS