Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports in the first 10 months reached $6.4 billion, surpassing last year’s total of $5.7 billion, with durian being the largest contributor.

Durian, the top export category, generated over $3 billion in the period and accounted for nearly 50% of export turnover, according to the Vietnam Fruits & Vegetables Association.

Other key contributors included banana, mango, dragon fruit, and processed goods.

China was the largest market, importing $3.8 billion worth of products in the first nine months, up 38% year-on-year.

Thailand overtook the U.S. as the second-largest buyer, with $202 million in imports, an 87% increase.

Exports to the U.S., South Korea, and Japan jumped double-digit.

Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the association, said that durian has brought about unexpected export results, and shipment value is expected to reach $3.5 billion for the whole year, a rare figure for a Vietnamese fruit.

Vietnam will likely see favorable weather for crops in the remaining months of the year, while other countries might struggle with supply, he said.

The country’s advantage in road, sea and rail transport linking it with China also helps save local firms’ time and costs, he added.

Nguyen expects fruits and vegetables exports to reach a new record of $7.5 billion this year.

In August, Vietnam signed a protocol to export frozen durians and fresh coconuts to China, opening up further opportunities for Vietnamese agricultural products.

At a trade fair in China in last month, Cao Ba Dang Khoa, general secretary of the Vietnam Coconut Association, announced that many businesses signed export contracts for 30-50 containers, with some companies securing deals for up to 1,500 containers.

In the U.S., Vietnamese agricultural produce, particularly coconuts and passion fruits, are becoming more popular, and this opens up opportunities for exporters.