Vietnam’s banana exports to China reached 420,000 tons in the first half of the year. (Source: VNA

According to the Chinese Customs, in the first six months of 2024, China’s banana imports reached over 957,000 tons, worth 486 million USD, down 4.6% in volume and 22.9% in value compared to the same period last year. Of which, China increased banana imports from Vietnam, Ecuador, Laos, Mexico and Thailand, but reduced imports from the Philippines and Cambodia.

In the first half of this year, Vietnam was the largest banana supplier to the Chinese market. 420,000 tons of Vietnamese bananas were exported to China, up 18.5% over the same period last year and accounting for nearly half of the banana imports into this market.

The amount of bananas imported from Vietnam is nearly double that of the Philippines (222,000 tons), and far exceeds other markets such as Ecuador (123,000 tons), Cambodia (131,000 tons), Laos (49,000 tons), Mexico (7,000 tons), Thailand (over 2,000 tons), Myanmar (over 2,000 tons), Indonesia (1,000 tons).

While China increased purchases of Vietnamese bananas, it has sharply reduced banana imports from the Philippines. In the first half of this year, the amount of Filipino bananas imported into China decreased by 39.3% compared to the same period last year.

Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (Vinafruit), said that compared to other banana exporting countries, Vietnam has a huge advantage in logistics due to its border with China, so it can export by road. The trans-Vietnam expressway system invested in and built in recent times has further shortened the time of transporting bananas to border gates with China. Therefore, the time and cost of transporting Vietnamese bananas to China are currently much lower than other countries.