After a period of interruption due to several testing laboratories temporarily suspending sample reception for maintenance, durian customs clearance at border gates with mainland China has returned to normal, with 300-400 durian trucks cleared daily.
In the second half of October 2025, durian export activities in some Central Highlands localities, particularly Dak Lak, experienced disruptions due to bottlenecks in testing for Yellow O and Cadmium — two mandatory conditions for obtaining export certificates to the Chinese market.
The incident stemmed from several testing laboratories temporarily suspending operations for maintenance, upgrades, or awaiting re-evaluation, preventing businesses from completing testing procedures, causing delays in deliveries, and posing a risk of economic losses.
Regarding this issue, on November 1, Director of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) Huynh Tat Dat stated that Vietnam currently has 24 testing laboratories recognized by Chinese Customs, with a theoretical total capacity of approximately 3,200 samples/day, sufficient to meet actual demand. However, since mid-October 2025, some laboratories had to temporarily cease operations due to maintenance, equipment failure, or awaiting re-evaluation, creating a gap in testing capacity and causing congestion.
According to Mr. Dat, on October 24, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Hoang Trung chaired an urgent meeting with relevant units, requesting a review of the operational status of testing laboratories to ensure transparent capacity and consistent results between Vietnam and mainland China.
"After one week of implementing the directive, the testing situation has 'basically returned to normal,' ensuring smooth trade activities for businesses," Mr. Dat said.
Mr. Dat stated that at the border gates, customs clearance operations have been maintained normally. Currently, major border gates are receiving: Lang Son with approximately 200-250 durian trucks; Lao Cai with about 100-150 durian trucks; and Mong Cai with about 50 durian trucks. A total of 300-400 durian trucks per day are cleared.
Data from the General Department of Customs show that durian export turnover to mainland China in September 2025 reached nearly $1 billion, an increase of 67.7% compared to the previous month and accounting for 93.6% of the total export value of this item.
Cumulatively for the first nine months of 2025, durian exports to the Chinese market reached approximately $2.59 billion, nearly equivalent to the same period in 2024.
Some other markets also saw significant growth. Specifically, Hong Kong increased by 83.7% to $42.8 million; Taiwan (China) increased by 64.9% to $32 million; Papua New Guinea and the US increased by 44.6% and 36.5% respectively.
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