How are stricter sanitation checks at border affecting China’s durian imports?

China’s imports of fresh durians have fallen this year because of stricter sanitation checks at the border, according to people who follow the trade.

The value of fresh durian imports in the first five months of this year fell by 32.5 per cent year on year to US$1.93 billion, according to the General Administration of Customs.

By volume, imports were down 32.9 per cent to 390,900 tonnes.

Hardest hit was Vietnam, which saw nearly 62 per cent year-on-year declines in both the value and volume of durians shipped to China, customs data shows. Vietnam’s shipments totalled US$254 million during the first five months of 2025.

Imports from Thailand fell 24 per cent year on year in US dollar terms over the same period to US$1.67 billion, with a slightly smaller decline in volume terms. Thailand retained its title as China’s top source of imports, followed by Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries.

Tighter safeguards against pesticides and other sanitation issues have slowed imports, people who follow trade said on Tuesday, adding that exporters might need some time to get used to the new rules.

“Vietnamese growers and traders need to meet the standards,” said Nguyen Thanh Trung, a political scientist at Fulbright University Vietnam. “This year I think they may be affected a lot, but growers and traders will learn.”