Australia increases imports of Vietnamese processed fruit, vegetables

Vietnam is one of the top 10 suppliers of processed fruit and vegetables to Australia,, with its exports to the market increasing considerably in recent months, according to the International Trade Center (ITC).

ITC statistics show Vietnam earned US$28.65 million from exporting its processed fruit and vegetables to Australia between January – November 2020, representing an annual rise of 34.9% and becoming the eighth largest supplier of the products to the demanding market.

The ITC says the Vietnamese products only made up 3.2% of Australia’s total imports, meaning there is more room for Vietnamese businesses to ship the products to the Australian market.

According to ITC statistics, throughout the Jan. – Nov..2020 period the import value of Australia’s processed fruit and vegetables fell by 2.9% to US$884.7 million compared to corresponding period from the previous year.

China remained the largest supplier of the products to Australia, bagging US$123.38 million. It was followed by Italy and New Zealand with turnover reaching US$117.38 million, and US$106.03 million, respectively.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnamese fruit and vegetable exports in January fell by 5.3% to US$260 million compared to December, 2020.

The drop can largely be attributed to a plunge in exports to China, the largest consumer of Vietnamese fruit and vegetables. The export value to the Chinese market last year reached US$1.84 billion, a fall of 25.7% compared to 2019.

The impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic has recently affected the country’s fruit and vegetable exports to the Chinese market, whilst China has moved to strictly inspect imported goods moving across the border.

Elsewhere, strong export growth has been recorded in Thailand, with export value reaching US$157.16 million, up 109.7% compared to 2019. It was followed by markets such as the United States, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Taiwan (China), the Netherlands, Australia, and Russia.

Local fruit and vegetable exports are anticipated to encounter difficulties in the first quarter of the year due to the unpredictable developments caused by COVID-19.