This figure represents an annual increase of 18.5% and accounted for nearly half of the total amount of bananas imported by this market.
This amount was also two times the volume shipped by the Philippines, the second biggest exporter.
According to details given by the General Administration of Customs China, China imported 957,000 tonnes of bananas worth US$486 million during the first six months, down 4.6% in volume and 22.9% in value compared to the same period from last year.
It noted that apart from Vietnam, the Chinese market also increased banana imports from Ecuador, Laos, Mexico, and Thailand, all while decreasing imports from the Philippines and Cambodia.
China moved to significantly increase its banana imports from the Vietnamese market, but sharply decreased imports from the Philippines. The low production output in the Philippines was largely due to the Panama Disease, also known as Fusarium wilt, whilst Ecuador has seen a general rise in costs, creating a significant price gap with Vietnamese bananas in the process.
Meanwhile, the average exports price of Vietnamese bananas has remained quite stable at US$408 per tonne.
According to Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Vegetable and Fruit Association (VINAFRUIT), when exporting bananas to China, Vietnam boasts a huge advantage in terms of logistics thanks to its adjacent border, meaning that the shipments can be exported by road.
Moreover, the cross-nation expressway also further shortened the transport time to border gates. Therefore, the time and cost of transporting bananas from the nation to China is currently much lower than that of other countries.
