To date, 16 types of Vietnamese fruits and vegetables have been exported to China via official channels, including 10 items with signed export protocols: watermelon, mangosteen, black jelly, durian, frozen durian, fresh coconut, fresh banana, sweet potato, chili, and passion fruit.

Six export items have not yet been formalized through export protocols, consisting of dragon fruit, rambutan, mango, lychee, longan, and jackfruit.

Vietnamese bird's nest

China is actively working to license the import of other Vietnamese agricultural products, such as citrus fruits and traditional herbal medicine derived from plants.

China remains Viet Nam's largest agricultural export market, while Viet Nam is China's top trading partner in ASEAN. Last year alone, Chinese consumers spent approximately US$4.6 billion on Vietnamese fruits and vegetables.

Specifically, durian led the way with over US$2.84 billion in exports in the first 11 months, followed by dragon fruit at US$320 million, banana at US$220 million, and jackfruit at US$240 million.

According to Dang Phuc Nguyen, Secretary-General of the Viet Nam Fruit and Vegetable Association, the surge in fruit and vegetable exports to China is due to both countries participating in bilateral free trade agreements such as the ASEAN–China Free Trade Agreement and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), as well as export protocols signed between the two sides.

"With a population of 1.4 billion, China is the world's most attractive consumer market. Despite being geographically distant, even countries like the U.S. and Chile are actively vying for market share," Nguyen noted.

Opportunities for Vietnamese fruit exporters remain vast. Besides the 14 officially recognized agricultural products, most others are still exported through unofficial border trade.

Meanwhile, demand for quality agricultural products in China continues to grow, and Viet Nam is well-positioned with a steady supply of specialty fruits.

To date, the two countries have signed 24 memoranda of understanding and protocols on importing and exporting agricultural, forestry, and fishery products.