China’s strict import regulations and quality standards have severely disrupted Vietnam’s durian export sector in 2025, leading to widespread factory shutdowns and a collapse in domestic prices. In Dong Thap Province, 80 of 111 fruit packaging factories halted durian exports after shipments were found to contain banned chemical residues.

Local Ri6 durian prices in Vietnam dropped to approximately one US dollar per kilogram, falling below basic production costs. The decline follows China’s enforcement of rigorous testing protocols on imported fruits, including screening for cadmium and the industrial dye Auramine O. Test results from Mekong Delta regions have detected excessive levels of heavy metals in durian and jackfruit samples, triggering rejections at Chinese ports.

China Customs Decree 280 governs the registration of foreign food manufacturers, and failed reinspections result in long-term penalties, including the loss of official export codes for Vietnamese factories. Restoration of export qualification after disqualification requires six to 12 months—covering an entire fruit export cycle—leaving producers without market access during critical harvest periods.

Vietnam’s infrastructure shortcomings have exacerbated the crisis. By late 2025, the country had only 24 laboratories accredited by China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC), insufficient to serve major planting zones. In Dong Nai Province, durian trucks routinely wait 24 hours for pre-shipment tests. Additionally, Vietnam operates 117 professional cold storage facilities, but 90% are designed for frozen meat and seafood, offering limited capacity for fresh fruits like durian.

Quality control deficiencies have also emerged. Some Vietnamese factories submitted falsified tracing documents to pass customs inspections. Vietnam has lagged in developing robust systems for product tracing, logistics, and cold chain management despite possessing extensive fruit-growing areas. Meanwhile, China has positioned itself as a rule-maker in global agricultural trade, applying high-standard ESG-related purchasing criteria, tighter heavy metal limits, and advanced cold chain requirements as screening conditions.

Eight Vietnamese packaging plants have applied for accreditation but remain pending approval. Vietnam’s agricultural authority has urged domestic testing institutions to improve inspection efficiency and has appealed to Chinese customs for more flexible clearance policies.