DFNet

January 03, 2026 | vnExpress |

Vietnam’s dragon fruit exports have fallen to their lowest level in 11 years, as rising global competition and changing market dynamics weaken demand. According to Vietnam Customs, export value in the first 11 months of last year declined 0.8 percent year on year to US$485.2 million, the lowest since 2014. This contrasts sharply with the 2014–2018 period, when annual exports exceeded US$1 billion and peaked at US$1.3 billion in 2018.

China remains Vietnam’s largest market, accounting for about 62 percent of exports, but shipments there fell 4.5 percent due to slowing imports and China’s rapid expansion of domestic dragon fruit production, now reaching about 1.6 million tons annually. While exports to emerging markets such as India and Thailand increased, their volumes remain too small to offset declines in China.

Competition has also intensified in other markets. Mexico has expanded dragon fruit production and largely replaced Vietnam in the U.S. and Canadian markets, especially for white-fleshed varieties. Industry representatives expect exports and prices to remain weak in the short term and stress the need for market diversification, quality improvement, and greater focus on off-season production to remain competitive.

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