Malaysia is discussing with Thailand the establishment of a land route for transporting durian to China. The goal is to shorten transportation time, reduce logistics costs, and enhance the competitiveness of Malaysian durian in the Chinese market.
According to a report by the Vientiane Times on July 9th, Malaysia's Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Mohamed Sabu, said that Malaysia has discussed this matter with Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Transportation Minister Suraki, and is coordinating related plans with China's General Administration of Customs.
According to the plan, Malaysia durians will be transported by railway and road, then through Thailand before entering China. Malaysia and Thailand are currently working with the Chinese side to make this transportation route operational as soon as possible.
June 23, Sabah State, Malaysia: People purchasing durian fruit. IC Photo
This move is also related to the current surplus of durian in Malaysia. Local media reports that due to the oversupply in the domestic market, the purchase price of durian in its production areas has dropped from about 15 ringgits per kilogram (approximately 25 yuan) to just 1 ringgit (about 1.7 yuan). This places significant pressure on fruit farmers.
Currently, Thailand remains the largest supplier of durian in China.
Reports indicate that Malaysia plans to discuss with China the expansion of its durian exports to China next month. The Malaysian Foreign Trade Development Authority has proposed increasing the export volume of fresh durian to China to $229 million by 2030, a significant increase from the approximately $5 million in 2025.
