At the end of April, China’s General Administration of Customs granted Cambodia permission to export fresh durians, marking the country’s entry into one of Asia’s most lucrative fruit markets.

However, to win over Chinese consumers, Cambodian durians must overcome major hurdles related to branding and market trust.

According to Lim Chin Khee, an advisor at the Durian Academy in Malaysia, Cambodia is still in the early stages of building its reputation. It lacks strong branding like Thailand’s popular Monthong variety or Malaysia’s premium Musang King.

While Cambodia doesn’t yet boast a renowned brand, it has unique advantages such as lower production costs and growing support from Chinese investors. Durian farming techniques in Cambodia are also steadily improving.

“Cambodian durian farmers can produce fruit that rivals the quality of Malaysian durians,” Lim affirmed.

A study by the travel platform Adventures Cambodia found that Cambodian durians carry high value due to meticulous farming processes and limited arable land - factors that increase scarcity and boost product value.

Professor Carl Thayer from the University of New South Wales in Australia noted that durian exports could help reduce the $12 billion trade surplus China currently holds over Cambodia.

Beijing and Phnom Penh have agreed to accelerate negotiations for new plant quarantine protocols to allow more high-quality Cambodian agricultural products into the Chinese market.

Zhao Yu, a resident of Shanghai, said she would need time to learn more about Cambodian durians before changing her shopping habits. This cautious attitude is common, as Chinese consumers place a high premium on the reliability of origin and product quality.

Last year alone, Thailand dominated the Chinese durian import market, accounting for 57% of the total $6.99 billion import value. Vietnam held second place with 38%, while Malaysia and the Philippines contributed a combined $38.2 million. Indonesia and Laos are also preparing to enter the Chinese market.

Rajiv Biswas, CEO of Asia-Pacific Economics in Singapore, said that as more Southeast Asian countries meet China’s quarantine standards, Chinese consumers will benefit from a wider variety of premium durians.

Duy Anh