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Vietnam imported US$1.5 billion worth of fruits and vegetables from China and the U.S. last year, or nearly two-thirds of its total purchases.
China’s share was almost $1 billion as its shipments increased by 25%, but imports from the U.S. rose by 64%, the highest for any of Vietnam’s 16 source markets, according to the latest customs data.
Australia was the third largest source at $151 million.
Vietnam spent $2.4 billion on fruits and vegetables imports overall, up 24%, according to customs. Apples, grapes, pistachios, and almonds were the biggest imports.
| Chinese grapes for sale in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by VnExpress/Hoang Tran |
Trade deals such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and Vietnam-US Bilateral Trade Agreement, with their tax cuts and lowered technical barriers, helped boost imports from China and the U.S., according to industry insiders.
The imports are usually of high quality and competitively priced, Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruits & Vegetables Association, said.
China has in recent years been developing high-quality agricultural products that were originally sourced from Japan and South Korea at a quarter of the prices it used to pay for importing them.
With U.S. apples being cheaper than those from New Zealand and Australia, they are more popular in Vietnam.
Imports from South Korea, India and New Zealand were down by 12-17% from 2023.
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