Recently, the fruit trade between Thailand and Vietnam has shown strong growth momentum, becoming a major highlight in the economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. According to the latest data, Thailand's total imports of fruits and vegetables from Vietnam reached 123 million US dollars in the first seven months of 2024, achieving an astonishing 70% increase compared to the same period last year. This significant increase not only reflects the strong demand for Vietnamese agricultural products in the Thai market, but also further consolidates Thailand's position as the fourth largest export market for Vietnamese agricultural products.

In the past, Thailand ranked relatively low in the import market of Vietnamese agricultural products, ranking only sixth, lagging behind countries and regions such as Japan and Taiwan, China of China. However, with the surge in imports in the first seven months of this year, Thailand has successfully surpassed other competitors and jumped to fourth place, becoming one of the important markets for Vietnam's agricultural exports.

Thailand's procurement of Vietnamese fruits has significantly increased in the first half of this year, especially for popular varieties such as longan, lychee, and durian. It is worth noting that the demand for frozen durian in the Thai market is particularly strong, which has led to a significant increase in the export volume of durian from Vietnam. Due to the drought caused by El Ni ñ o, the durian production in Thailand has decreased and the fruit quality does not meet standards. Therefore, Thai businesses have turned their attention to neighboring Vietnam to make up for the supply gap in the domestic market.

Deng Fuyuan, Secretary General of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, stated that the total export value of Vietnamese fruits and vegetables is expected to reach 4.6 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 29%. He pointed out that the year-round supply advantage of Vietnamese durian and the seasonal shortage of Thai durian provide a good opportunity for Vietnamese durian to enter the Thai market. In addition, he also revealed that some durians imported from Vietnam have been re exported to China, further expanding the sales channels of Vietnamese durians.

In addition to durian, large retail companies in Thailand also import large quantities of fruits such as dragon fruit, longan, and lychee from Vietnam and sell them in their chain supermarkets. These companies have doubled their imports from Vietnam compared to the same period last year, providing strong growth momentum for Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports.

Despite the impressive performance of the Thai market, China remains the largest export market for Vietnamese agricultural products. In the first seven months of this year, China imported nearly $2.5 billion worth of fruits and vegetables from Vietnam, a year-on-year increase of 25%. The United States and South Korea closely follow, becoming the second and third largest export markets for Vietnamese agricultural products, respectively.