In 2017, Vietnam has spent over US$1.55 billion to import fruits including apples, oranges, kiwi, cherry, durian and others from Thailand, the US, New Zealand, stated the MoIT's Import - Export Department.
2017 marked Vietnam's largest spending in fruits and vegetables import at US$1.55 billion.
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The majority of imported fruits and vegetables is for domestic demands, while the remaining is for export to a third country.
In addition to popular fruits from Thailand, Vietnam mainly imported apples, oranges, kiwis, and cherries from New Zealand, Australia and the US; oranges, grapes, apples, mandarins, and pears from China.
Vietnam's trading partners for fruits and vegetables are from many countries in the world, but the majority is from the Asian region, informed the Ministry of Agricultural & Rural Development (MARD).
Thailand has overcome China to become the top exporter of fruits to Vietnam, with import turnover in 2017 reached US$857.1 million, up 109% over 2016.
The second largest export market to Vietnam was China, with US$294.6 million, up 34.3% year on year.
Vietnam also imported vegetables from the US with US$105.96 million, up 24.4%; Australia with US$68.2 million, up 61.4%; Myanmar with US$33.5 million, down 19.9%; New Zealand with US$21 million, up 41.6%; India with US$20.9 million, up 82.2%; Korea with US$15.5 million, up 63.2%; South Africa with US$13 million, up 24.5%.
Currently, there are 14 countries exporting fruits to Vietnam, including India (1), Argentina (4), Canada (2), Chile (4), Korea (3), the US (4), Mexico (1), South Africa (3), New Zealand (8), Peru (4), Philippines (!), Thailand (24), China (4) and Australia (38).
With the high growth rate of exporting fruits to Vietnam in recent years, Thailand is expected to exceed the US$1-billion mark in near future, stated MoIT.
The growth rate of the Vietnamese agricultural sector was set at 3%, while the targeted export value of agricultural products was US$40 billion, according to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc's statement at MARD's January 4 meeting on the performance of the sector in 2017 and its plans for 2018.
In 2017, the agricultural sector has attained 7 significant results, including reaching an all-time record high export value of US$36 billion. In 2018, the sector set the growth target of 2.8-3%, with export value reaching US$37- US$38 billion.
