Hanoi, August 2025 — Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has issued a directive tightening inspections of durian exports to China following repeated rejections due to food safety violations.
According to alerts from China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC), multiple shipments of Vietnamese durians this year were found contaminated with auramine O—a banned industrial dye—and excessive levels of cadmium, a toxic heavy metal.
Trade Slump and Recovery Efforts
Vietnam’s durian exports have taken a hit:
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First-half 2025 fruit/vegetable exports: $3 billion, down 9.7% YoY.
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Durian shipments plummeted amid China’s stricter checks.
To regain trust, Vietnam has:
🔹 Intensified farm-to-port quality controls.
🔹 Drafted national durian standards for key varieties (Ri6, Dona), specifying:
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Harvest timelines (85–120 days post-bloom, region-dependent).
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Bans on insect-damaged/rotten fruit.
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Strict pulp quality rules (no hardening/browning).
China-Vietnam Collaboration
In late June, GACC inspectors visited Vietnam to assess durian farms, packing plants, and labs. China praised Vietnam’s improvements but emphasized “zero tolerance” for violations.
