Malaysia’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Industries said its durian exports have increased by 107% over the previous five years, from 69.9 million ringgit ($16.8 million) in 2016 to 144.7 million ringgit ($34.7 million) in 2020.
Malaysian durians are currently permitted to be imported into 22 countries and regions as of September 2020. In 2020, Hong Kong, mainland China, Singapore, the United States and Australia were the top five overseas markets for Malaysian durians ranked by value of import. Hong Kong, the biggest importer, consumed Malaysian durian exports worth 57.5 million ringgit ($13.8 million) in 2020, accounting for 39.8% of the total export value. The majority of Hong Kong’s durian imports are re-exported to mainland China, where they receive over 90% of their demand.
Muhammad said the Malaysian government does not impose taxes on durian exports in order to make Malaysian durians more competitive in the international arena. Malaysia’s exports of durians should maintain a rapid growth rate in the future due to government support.
Thailand still dominates the global durian market, supplying over 90% of the world’s durian exports, despite Malaysia having a strong momentum with its durian exports over the years. Approximately $35 billion will be traded worldwide in durian by 2030, according to estimates.
