The once luxurious and niche durian has now entered the daily fruit dishes of the masses. With the abundant production in Southeast Asia and smooth cross-border channels, affordable durians are selling well throughout the country, becoming a vivid reflection of consumer upgrading and opening up to the outside world.

Fruit price down-to-earth gas

The retail price of durian has dropped to over 20 yuan per kilogram, and supermarkets and community fruit shops have stocked up in large quantities. Many places have launched durian self-service projects. In 2026, Southeast Asian durian will have a high yield. With the mature transportation link to China, high-end fruits that used to have high prices will enter ordinary people's homes with a wide variety of categories and affordable pricing.

A small durian has given birth to a vast consumer blue ocean.

According to statistics from the General Administration of Customs, the total import volume of fresh durian in China in 2025 will be 1.868 million tons, with an import value of approximately 7.49 billion US dollars, equivalent to over 5000 tons of durian entering the customs every day. Looking back at 2015, the import volume of fresh durian in China was only 299000 tons, and the import scale has doubled in the past decade. Industry analysis predicts that the import volume of durian in China this year will be nearly 2 million tons, and the size of the end consumer market is expected to exceed 82 billion yuan.

Durian is selling well, which intuitively reflects the upgrading of domestic consumption quality and the full release of domestic demand potential. After China's per capita GDP exceeded 13000 US dollars, residents' consumption gradually shifted towards quality and enjoyment oriented products. Consumers are willing to pay for high-quality imported agricultural products, and the strong demand continues to generate new business opportunities.

Nanyang is busy planting fruits

A durian crosses mountains and seas, with strong production and sales, and domestic consumer orders driving industrial transformation in overseas production areas. Thailand, as a major producer of durian worldwide, strictly controls fruit quality and steadily expands exports to China; Malaysia focuses on high-end racing tracks and launches unique varieties such as Cat Mountain King and Black Thorn; Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and other countries are targeting the Chinese market, introducing and expanding production, and improving their industrial chains. The stable and predictable domestic demand has prompted Southeast Asian growers and enterprises to increase investment and expand production capacity.

Durian has a short preservation period, from picking in the orchard to stocking in supermarkets, it only takes at least two days. Behind the efficient customs clearance of fresh fruits, convenient port policies and increasingly improved cold chain logistics systems are indispensable.

The implementation of the Western Land Sea New Corridor has been effective, significantly shortening the transportation time of Southeast Asian fresh fruits to China. The cold chain special train of the Lancang Mekong Express Line of the China Laos Railway can transport Durian to Kunming in 26 hours, and then to more than 30 cities such as Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenyang through the combined transportation of highway and railway. The Friendship Pass Port in Pingxiang, Guangxi has become a major gateway for fruit imports, with intelligent customs clearance speeding up and increasing efficiency. Nearly half of the imported durians in China enter through this port.

Cross border infrastructure hardware is constantly improving, and the supporting economic and trade systems are synchronously optimized. The upgrade of the China ASEAN Free Trade Area and the implementation of regional free trade agreements, as well as favorable measures such as tariff reductions and simplified customs clearance, continue to amplify the potential for bilateral trade cooperation.

Shanhai delivers fresh fruits

The best-selling products are not only durian, but also high-quality fresh produce from various countries such as Thai mangosteen, Mexican avocado, Chilean cherries, etc., which have gradually entered thousands of households in China. Overseas farmers and merchants are seizing the opportunity of China's consumption upgrade, relying on China's opening-up policy to continuously explore the domestic consumer market and share market dividends.

The demand on the tip of the tongue drives the comprehensive upgrading of production, logistics, trade, and rules. In recent years, the deepening of economic and trade cooperation between China and ASEAN has contributed to the steady growth of Southeast Asian fresh food exports to China; China implements zero tariffs on 53 African countries with diplomatic relations, and exempts the vast majority of goods from import tariffs on some underdeveloped countries in South Asia; Building a bridge between supply and demand through exhibitions such as the China International Import Expo and the China International Consumer Fair, and narrowing the distance between economic and trade cooperation among countries. The vast and steadily growing Chinese market continues to open its doors to high-quality products from around the world.

China insists on importing global goods and achieving mutual benefit and win-win results through industrial assistance. The durian industry chain is a typical example. Chinese domestic enterprises invest in Southeast Asia, export planting technology and cold chain operation experience, help the standardized and large-scale development of the local durian industry, and drive local people's employment and income growth. Keywords: imported fruits, Southeast Asia, consumption upgrading

A durian bears witness to the deepening development of China's opening-up to the outside world. A continuous stream of durians enters the country along the trade chain, connecting China with numerous cooperating countries through a complete industrial chain. Countries share the benefits of cooperation, allowing the world to taste the sweet fruits of mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation.Editor/Gong Ziwei