Fruit and Vegetable Exports Surge as Cold Chain and Quarantine Pressures Intensif

Viet Nam’s fruit and vegetable industry is entering a new growth phase, targeting USD 10 billion in export turnover in 2026. However, as official export channels continue to expand, pressure on cold chain infrastructure, quarantine compliance, and agricultural logistics systems is also rising rapidly.

According to the General Department of Customs, Viet Nam’s fruit and vegetable exports reached USD 1.52 billion in Q1 2026, up 31.4% year-on-year. China remained the largest market with approximately USD 778 million, rising nearly 50% and accounting for 51% of the industry’s total export value.

The United States ranked second with USD 130 million, up 16.4%, while South Korea reached USD 76.8 million and Japan recorded USD 58.4 million. Several markets posted strong growth, including Malaysia (+82.5%), Germany (+79.7%), the Netherlands (+51.6%), and Australia (+29.5%).

This growth trend indicates that Viet Nam’s fruit and vegetable exports are no longer concentrated in only a few traditional destinations. Instead, exporters are expanding into new markets, particularly across Asia, supported by shorter transit times and more favourable geographical proximity.

Official Export Channels Raise Cold Chain and Quarantine Requirements

In 2026, China’s continued approval of official import channels for pomelos and lemons, together with the previously signed phytosanitary protocol for fresh jackfruit exports, is creating additional growth opportunities for Viet Nam’s fruit and vegetable sector.

At the same time, official exports are introducing stricter requirements related to:

Product traceability
Phytosanitary compliance
Temperature-controlled storage
Packaging standards
Customs clearance timelines

As a result, logistics is becoming a direct component of export competitiveness rather than simply a transportation function.

According to the Viet Nam Fruit and Vegetable Association, most Vietnamese agricultural exports are still concentrated in southern Chinese provinces, while northern China remains largely untapped. Expanding distribution deeper into the Chinese domestic market is expected to increase demand for long-haul cold chain transportation and more stable logistics corridors.

Durian Continues to Drive Pressure on Agricultural Logistics

Durian remains the largest growth driver within Viet Nam’s fruit and vegetable export sector. In the first two months of 2026 alone, durian exports reached approximately USD 146 million, up 177% year-on-year.

Unlike many conventional agricultural products, durian is highly sensitive to transit time and storage conditions. This makes refrigerated containers, cross-docking cold storage facilities near border gates and ports, expedited customs clearance services, and fixed-schedule cross-border transport increasingly critical within the export supply chain.

The period from June to October is forecast to be Viet Nam’s peak durian export season. According to the Viet Nam Fruit and Vegetable Association, fruit and vegetable exports in Q2 could increase by an additional 15–20%, with monthly export turnover expected to reach approximately USD 750–850 million during the peak harvest period.

This also means pressure on refrigerated logistics systems is likely to intensify significantly during the second half of the year.

Cold Storage Shortages and Post-Harvest Infrastructure Remain Cost Bottlenecks

Despite rapid export growth, the fruit and vegetable sector continues to face major logistics infrastructure limitations.

According to Vinafruit, shortages of cold storage facilities and integrated cold chain systems in farming regions are keeping logistics costs elevated while increasing post-harvest losses compared with competing countries in the region.

In addition, domestic transportation costs have risen by approximately 30–40% due to fuel price volatility and higher logistics input costs.

Beyond logistics challenges, importing markets are also tightening food safety and quality requirements. Several shipments of durian, dragon fruit, passion fruit, and chilli products have previously received warnings in markets such as the EU, Japan, and China due to technical standard or food safety violations.

As a result, exporters are being pushed to invest more heavily in:

Quality control systems
Standardised packaging
Preservation infrastructure
Product traceability
Integrated logistics operations from farming areas to border gates

Agricultural Logistics Is Becoming More Specialised

Alongside export growth, the structure of Viet Nam’s fruit and vegetable industry is also evolving as processed products gain a larger share of total exports. Companies are expanding investments in frozen products, dried fruit, and concentrated fruit juice to extend shelf life and increase export value.

This trend is expected to drive further demand for:

Specialised cold chain logistics
Long-term cold storage facilities
Refrigerated container transportation
Logistics hubs near farming regions
Multimodal transportation services for agricultural products

As Viet Nam’s fruit and vegetable sector moves toward its USD 10 billion export target in 2026, cold chain capability and quality control are expected to remain decisive factors in determining exporters’ ability to expand into international markets.

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