Fruit and vegetable exports in the first eight months of this year reached US$2.53 billion, down 5.8% year-on-year, according to the Agro Processing and Market Development Department (Agrotrade) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Workers process pineaples for export at the factory of An Giang Fruit - Vegetables and Foodstuff JSC in the southern province of An Giang (photo: VNA)

The figure includes US$246 million from August.

Between January and July, China remained the biggest importer, accounting for 70.5% of Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports, equivalent to US$1.65 billion – down 5.6% year-on-year.

It was followed by the US, whose imports rose 12.5% to US$ 84.07 million, making up 3.6% of the total. The Republic of Korea ranked third with US$76.91 million worth of commodities from Vietnam, rising 13.1% and accounting for 3.3% of the total.

The markets posting surges in the import of Vietnamese fruits and vegetables included Laos 2.84 times, Hong Kong (China) 2.37 times, Taiwan (China) up 44%, and the Netherlands up 37.9%.

Also, in August, Vietnam purchased US$134 million worth of fruit and vegetables from other countries, raising the eight-month imports to US$1.28 billion, up 11.5% from a year earlier.

Agrotrade forecast that numerous difficulties will continue to face exports for the remaining months of this year due to uncertainties in the world’s economy, the escalating US-China trade tension that will cause reluctance over trade and investment activities, and the enhanced application of strict food safety and environmental protection standards in many markets.

( VNF/NDO )