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Fresh durian exports to China are expected soon with the signing of what President Ferdinand Marcos Jr called the “durian protocol”, an agreement for exporting the fruit to China
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The January 4 signing of a protocol of phytosanitary requirements for the export of fresh durians from the Philippines to China was between the Philippine Department of Agriculture and China’s General Administration of Customs during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s three-day state visit to China
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The government also secured US$2.09 billion in purchase intentions for Philippine fruit exports comprising coconuts and bananas, among other fruits
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At least four companies expressed their intent to import more Philippine tropical fruits, especially durian
Exports of fresh durian to China are expected soon with the signing of what President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called the “durian protocol” on January 4.
Manila and Beijing on January 4 signed a protocol of phytosanitary requirements for the export of fresh durians from the Philippines to China between the Department of Agriculture (DA) and China’s General Administration of Customs.
During his three-day visit to China which began on Jan 3, Marcos noted China is opening its trade to “imports of durian and other agricultural products from the Philippines so that we can redress the imbalance in our imports and exports from China.”
The protocol was one of 14 agreements signed during the state visit.
The Chinese embassy in Manila paved the way for the signing when Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian organized a team of experts from the Chinese embassy to visit Davao for a market access investigation on exports of fresh durian.
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In addition to the “durian protocol”, Manila secured US$2.09 billion in purchase intentions for Philippine fruit exports covering coconuts and bananas, among other fruits, Malacañang said in a statement.
At least four Chinese companies expressed their intent to import more Philippine tropical fruits, especially durian.
Fresh fruits, including Cavendish bananas, have been the top drivers for Philippine agricultural exports to China.
Marcos, who is concurrently the Agriculture secretary, noted the agricultural sector’s vast economic potential and assured business leaders during the China state visit that durian growers, represented in the meeting by the Davao Durian Industry Association, “have long waited for this opportunity and are ready to meet the demands of the Chinese market.”
The Davao region covers 78% of the total durian production in the country.
It was noted that the Chinese have an appetite for durian. In 2021, total durian imports from Thailand amounted to $4 billion, more than triple the total Philippine agricultural exports to China in the same period.
Marcos also welcomed the intention of several Chinese companies to invest in coconut, the livestock sector, and develop durian as a plantation crop.
“These will generate much-needed employment, enrich the sector’s research and development activities and capabilities, enhance domestic and international trade, and ensure food security at affordable prices,” the President said.
The Philippines’ Coconut Farmers Industry Development Plan is also expected to facilitate the rehabilitation and modernization of the Philippine coconut industry, according to Marcos.
The plan aims to provide the catalyst for more coconut products from the Philippines to enter the Chinese market.
In the same meeting, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual touted the Philippines as a “highly promising production base for agribusiness, a source also of products for export to China.”
“We invite you to firm up your interest to make [an] investment destination in the Philippines for plantation development and building of processing facilities,” Pascual said.
The trade chief noted the country’s “large working-age population and growing pool of skilled workforce.”
In 2021, fresh fruits made up 58% the country’s exports to China that were dominated by Cavendish bananas, followed by fresh pineapples, Lady Finger bananas, Solo papayas, Hass avocados, and young green coconuts.
However, Cavendish bananas comprised 75% of the total fresh fruit exports to China.
During Marcos’ state visit, the Philippines and China also signed a joint action plan for 2023-2025 on agricultural and fisheries cooperation between the DA and China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, as well as a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Launched in 2013 by President Xi Jinping as the centerpiece of his foreign policy, the BRI is a global infrastructure development strategy to invest in nearly 150 countries and international organizations, enhancing connectivity and facilitating smoother trade flows among Asia, Europe, and Africa.
