China’s Durian Market Heats Up as Indonesia Challenges Thailand and Vietnam

China’s insatiable appetite for durian is fueling a high-stakes competition among Southeast Asian suppliers, with Indonesia now pushing to enter the lucrative market.
A shopper in Macao inspects durian fruit at a local market. Much of the pungent fruit available for sale in China comes from Thailand and Vietnam. Agencja Fotograficzna Caro / Alamy Photo

China’s insatiable appetite for durian fuels a high-stakes competition among Southeast Asian suppliers, with Indonesia now pushing to enter the lucrative market.

Long dominated by Thailand, with Vietnam rapidly expanding its footprint, the sector is poised for further disruption as Jakarta races to meet Beijing’s stringent import standards, which remain entirely under China’s control.

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest news and analysis from Africa, Asia, and across the Global South.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China’s relations across the Global South.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

OR

Already a subscriber? Log in Click Here to Learn More
by Edwin Shri Bimo

Most Read

1
Developing Countries’ Debt Servicing Costs to China Are Significant, but Nowhere Near as Much as Other Creditors
2 Chinese Military Fans Discuss Why Indonesia Bought Rafale Instead of J-10C
3
Uncertainty Roils Minerals Markets
4 From J-10C to Kaan? Indonesia’s Fighter Jet Deal With Turkey Shocks Chinese Military Fans
5
Indonesia Goes Nuclear, Taps China and Russia for Modular Reactors
6
Chinese Cargo Planes Secretly Ferrying Supplies to Iran, Claim Online Sleuths

You Might Like

China’s insatiable appetite for durian is fueling a high-stakes competition among Southeast Asian suppliers, with Indonesia now pushing to enter the lucrative market.

Vietnam Challenges Thailand as Durian Export Leader Amid China’s Booming Demand

Vietnam’s durian industry is booming, fueled by China’s increasing love for the “King of Fruits.” In 2024, Vietnam’s durian exports hit an impressive $3.3 billion, a staggering almost 8-fold increase from ...

Why U.S. Farmers Have Good Reason to be Nervous About China’s Shift to Brazil for Agricultural Products

China’s move to end its reliance on U.S. agricultural imports began during the first Trump administration in the late 2010s and has accelerated rapidly in years, prompting a lot of U.S. farmers to ...

Vietnam Eyeing $8 Billion in Fruit and Vegetable Exports by 2025, Aiming to Win the Chinese Market

Vietnam is quietly positioning itself to become a global powerhouse in the fruit and vegetable export market, targeting an ambitious $8 billion in exports by 2025, aiming to win the Chinese market. ...
A sweeping new regulation mandates that exporters in key natural resource sectors keep 100% of their foreign exchange earnings within the country’s financial system for a full year, an aggressive strategy aimed at bolstering foreign reserves and protecting the rupiah.

Indonesia Announces 100% Export Earnings Retention: Economic Game-Changer or Business Constraint? 

As Indonesia tightens control over export earnings, President Prabowo Subianto’s administration is making a decisive bet on economic resilience. A sweeping new regulation mandates that exporters in key natural resource sectors ...

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

More about CGSP