Vietnamese grapefruit is sold in supermarkets in Korea, priced up to 2.4 USD/kg.

The average price of grapefruit exported to Korea is 2.4 USD/kg - Photo: BCT

Currently, South Korea is the fifth largest fruit export market of Vietnam, after China, the US, the EU and Japan. With Vietnam's annual quality fruit products reaching over 12 million tons, of which grapefruit has a yield of about 1.2 million tons, the potential for expanding exports to South Korea is huge.

Great potential in the Korean market

Korean consumers increasingly favor nutritious tropical fruits, creating opportunities for Vietnamese grapefruit to compete with products from the US (oranges, apples) and Thailand (durian, rambutan).

The average price of grapefruit exported to Korea is 2.4 USD/kg, 30% higher than the price in China (1.8 USD/kg), showing the significant added value that the Korean market brings.

Since 2018, Vietnam has officially initiated the negotiation process to open the Korean market for grapefruit.

After two years of active exchange, pest risk analysis and many rounds of technical negotiations, by April 2024, the Plant Protection Department of Vietnam and the Animal and Plant Quarantine Service of Korea reached an agreement on technical import conditions.

From August 2024, Vietnamese grapefruit will be officially allowed to be imported into Korea on the condition that each shipment is inspected before customs clearance.

By September 2024, Vietnamese enterprises had successfully exported the first batch of grapefruit with an output of 5 tons.

In 2025, a company aims to export 500 tons of grapefruit, with an estimated total value of up to 1.2 million USD (equivalent to about 30 billion VND).

Lotte Mart representative highly appreciated the potential of Vietnamese grapefruit thanks to its sweet taste, high vitamin C content and suitability to Korean consumers' taste.

After the first batch was distributed at Lotte Mart Jamsil branch, the group plans to expand distribution to other branches if it receives positive feedback from the market.

Vietnamese exports to South Korea grow well

The Trade Office and the Vietnamese Embassy in Korea pledged to continue supporting businesses in accessing market information, connecting with partners, completing export procedures and diversifying products, opening a new and promising chapter for the Vietnamese agricultural sector.

By the end of 2024, South Korea will remain Vietnam's third largest trading partner after China and the United States. Bilateral trade turnover in 2024 will reach about 82 billion USD, up 7.4% over the same period.

In particular, Vietnam's key products exported to the Korean market still grew well despite the negative impacts of the world economy, specifically: coffee (141 million USD, up 22%); seafood (810 million USD, up 2%); especially fresh fruits and vegetables (reaching 319 million USD, up 40%).

South Korea's fresh fruit imports soared to a record $1.45 billion in 2024, marking a 20.1 percent increase from the previous year, according to data from the Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI).

Experts predict that the trend of fruit imports in Korea will continue to increase strongly. KREI estimates that total fruit imports, including fresh, dried and frozen varieties, will increase by 6.8% to 817,000 tons in 2025, reaching 865,000 tons by 2034, reflecting an average annual growth rate of 0.6%.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/trai-buoi-viet-nam-duoc-ban-trong-sieu-thi-o-han-quoc-gia-len-toi-2-4-usd-kg-20250410160159263.htm