Vietnam's fruit and vegetable industry is seeking to further open up the Chinese market. As China sets higher standards for the quality, traceability, and quarantine requirements of imported agricultural products, the Vietnamese industry has proposed establishing an “green channel” for exports, to provide faster clearance benefits for enterprises that meet the standards.
According to a report by the Vientian Times on July 2, the export value of Vietnamese fruits and vegetables to China in 2025 will reach approximately $5.5 billion. Officials from the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Environment stated that to expand exports to China in the future, reliance on increasing export volumes alone is not sufficient; quality improvement, processing capabilities, and supply chain management must also be enhanced.
Vietnam Green Pomelo Processing Factory – VTC News
Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment’s Deputy Director General for Planting and Plant Protection, Nguyen Quoc Manh, stated that in recent years, China has strengthened its regulations regarding export production unit codes, packaging facilities, and plant quarantine standards. Vietnam’s fruit industry needs to shift from a model based on ‘scale expansion’ to one that emphasizes quality and added value.
As of May 2026, Vietnam has issued more than 9,500 codes for export production units and over 1,500 codes for packaging facilities. Among these, China has approved 4,323 production unit codes and 1,332 packaging facility codes. However, Vietnam notes that approval is just the beginning; continuously meeting Chinese standards is even more important. In recent years, some Vietnamese export production units have had their codes suspended or revoked by China due to not meeting relevant requirements.
While improving export standards, Vietnamese companies also hope to expand the processing of fruits, reducing their dependence on fresh fruit exports.
Vietnam Dongjiao Food Export Joint Stock Company (DOVECO) Chairman Dinh Cao Khue said that the company's research has found that the Chinese market has a high demand for processed tropical fruit products in Vietnam, including concentrated juices, fruit purees, frozen fruits and vegetables, as well as canned products.
He believes that processed products have a higher added value compared to fresh fruit exports. They can also reduce the sales pressure during periods when fruits are all sold at once. Additionally, they help Vietnamese companies meet stricter technical requirements and market competition.
According to data from the Trade Promotion Bureau of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam, the Chinese fruit retail market is expected to reach approximately 1.8 trillion yuan by 2026. The demand for tropical fruits such as durian, bananas, pitayas, and mangoes continues to grow. The Vietnamese industry believes that the ability to address issues related to approval processes, logistics, and technical standards will directly affect the further expansion of Vietnam's fruit exports and its market share in the Chinese market.
