China’s durian demand sees Philippines score CIIE trade deal despite heated South China Sea dispute
- China’s love for durian has skyrocketed in recent years, giving the world’s major producers in Southeast Asia a massive market to tap
- Agreement at China International Import Export will see more Philippine durians and papayas sent to China, but specifics of the deal are being kept under wraps for now
The Philippines is on a mission to expand its exports to the world’s largest market for durian consumption, and it hammered that point home on Monday by hyping up a deal it made at China’s largest import expo.
One of the Philippines’ durian distributors in China, the Dole (Shanghai) Fruits and Vegetables Trading Company, signed a purchasing agreement with the Philippine embassy in China on the second day of the China International Import Expo that kicked off on Sunday and extends to Friday.
“Philippine durian is delicious, sweet – if it’s not sweet, you get your money back,” Philippines ambassador to China Jaime Florcruz said at the ceremony.
However, details of the deal remain scarce, including the value and volume of fruit products. What’s known is that it covers mainly two types of Philippine fruit – durians and papayas.
Dole said in an official statement that China has seen its durian sales record a compound annual growth rate of more than 20 per cent since 2019. And it pointed out that the value of China’s market for durian is soaring.
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Our reporter had never tried durian, so we sent her to sample everything at a durian buffet
