HCMC – While the country’s fruit and vegetable imports in the January-April period dipped by 42% year-on-year, the purchase of these items from the United States soared by 44%, making it Vietnam’s largest fruit and vegetable supplier.
Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable import turnover from the United States reached more than US$102.1 million over the first four months, with exports from U.S. fruit and vegetables to the country accounting for 27.1% of the total market, according to data from the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association.
Meanwhile, between January and April last year, the United States exported US$71.1 million worth of fruit and vegetables to Vietnam, or a 10.9% market share, and third on the list of Vietnam’s largest fruit and vegetable exporters.
Pham Thien Hoang, director of Pham Hoang Trang Company, which owns and operates an imported fruit store chain called GreenSpace Store, said that U.S. fruit are popular products among local consumers, so these imports are on the rise.
Many firms are rushing to import U.S. cherries, he stated, adding that as the blueberry harvest season has started, the volume of blueberry imports is expected to rise sharply.
Hoang also pointed out that the prices of these fruit will not be lower than last year as transport costs have doubled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
As of 2020, Vietnam has granted licenses for formal imports of six fruits from the United States: apples, grapes, pears, cherries, blueberries and oranges.
The data also indicated that over the past four months, Vietnam exported US$1.22 billion worth of fruit and vegetables, down 12.5% year-on-year, Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper reported.
Meanwhile, the country spent US$376.9 million importing fruit and vegetables during the four-month period, dropping by 43% year-on-year as Vietnam scaled down its imports of these products from its traditional markets. However, it ramped up purchases from New Zealand, Myanmar, the United States and South Korea.
