Spending nearly 2 billion USD on imports, which fruit is flooding into Vietnam the most?

Imported fruits are sold everywhere from traditional markets to “online markets”, covering all large and small supermarkets in our country, overwhelming domestic fruits. Notably, besides fruits in the high-end segment, many types of imported fruits are sold at cheap prices, even super cheap.

According to statistics from the General Department of Customs, as of mid-May, our country had spent 725.6 million USD to import fruits and vegetables to serve domestic consumption needs. In 2023 alone, Vietnam's fruit and vegetable imports reached 1.96 billion USD.

Accordingly, China is the largest market supplying fruits and vegetables to Vietnam with import turnover reaching 794.7 million USD, down 7.4% over the same period last year.

In 2023, goods from China will account for 40.5% of our country's total fruit and vegetable import turnover.

The US ranked second, with import turnover reaching 331.5 million USD, down 7%. Next was the Australian market, with import turnover reaching 142.4 million USD, down 10% compared to 2022.

In Vietnam's total fruit and vegetable import turnover in 2023, US and Australian goods accounted for 16.9 and 7.3% respectively.

So which fruit does our country import the most? Statistics from the General Department of Customs show that apples were the most imported item in 2023, reaching 237.1 million USD, accounting for 21.8% of the total fruit import turnover.

In the Vietnamese market, apples are imported and sold all year round, with dozens of different varieties. Some apples are quite expensive, up to 150,000-300,000 VND/kg depending on the time, even millions of VND/kg if they are from Japan.

However, there are also many types of apples with super cheap prices such as Chinese beer apples; South African apples; American and French apples, at some times the price is only 30,000-40,000 VND/kg.

Currently, Chinese beer apples are flooding the Vietnamese market at a price of only 10,000-12,000 VND/kg. During the main season last year, this type of Chinese apple appeared in the Vietnamese market at a price of only a few thousand VND/kg.

After apples, the second most imported fruit to Vietnam is grapes, reaching 158.4 million USD, accounting for 14.6% of total fruit import turnover.

Tangerines and pears ranked 3rd and 4th, accounting for 7.1% and 5% respectively.

These are all fruits with quite low prices. Especially grapes, not only imported from the US, Australia, Korea, ... but also Chinese grapes flooded the domestic market at very cheap prices. When this billion-people country expanded its growing area, milk grapes immediately covered the Vietnamese market at very affordable prices.

A fruit industry expert commented that in trade, importation depends on market demand. The fruits imported by Vietnam today are mainly those that we cannot produce or are not our strength.

For example, Vietnamese apples and pomegranates cannot be grown yet; or grapes and pears have growing areas but the output is still modest so they must be imported to meet domestic consumption needs.

In addition, the fruits that top the import list are mostly in the low-priced segment, originating from China with large output, so they are imported very quickly. This is also the reason why apples, grapes, tangerines and pears are always imported to Vietnam in large quantities every year.