Phl loses China market for bananas to Vietnam

Vietnam has upended the Philippines' 20-year rule as the top supplier of bananas to China.

- JASPER EMMANUEL ARCALAS

International Trade Centre (ITC) data showed that Vietnam — for the first time — overtook the Philippines as China's top supplier of bananas last year.

China imported a record-high 625,166 metric tons of bananas from Vietnam while its purchase from the Philippines stood at 463,306 MT, the lowest volume in 15 years.

On an annual basis, China's banana imports from Vietnam expanded by almost 24 percent from 505,633 MT in 2023, reflecting the Southeast Asian country's growing production and exports for the prized fruit.

Meanwhile, China's imports of Philippine bananas plunged by 32.45 percent from 685,869 MT in 2023.

Throughout the years, Vietnam has been eroding the Philippines' share in China's robust banana market, which imports about 1.8 million MT of bananas annually.