The US emerged as a significant market for Vietnamese lychee, with imports reaching 1.26 million USD in the first five months of the year. This represents a substantial 125% increase compared to the same period last year. The US market share grew from 5% to nearly 8% of total Vietnamese lychee exports.

According to the Customs Department, Vietnam's lychee exports totaled 16.03 million USD (approximately 421 billion VND), marking a 43% rise from the previous year. China remained the largest market, accounting for 8.07 million USD, a 29.5% increase, and more than half of the total turnover.

In Europe, exports saw strong growth across all three major markets: France led with 845,000 USD (up 81.8%), followed by the Netherlands at 725,000 USD (up 290%), and the UK at 717,000 USD (up 176%).

Despite China's continued dominance, its share of Vietnamese lychee exports decreased from 55.57% to 50.35%. This indicates a strategic expansion of Vietnamese lychee into high-value markets.

Lychee harvest in former Bac Giang (now Bac Ninh). Photo: Giang Huy

Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (VINAFRUIT), attributed the strong export growth to several factors. He highlighted tariff advantages from the Vietnam - EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the increasing number of cultivation areas achieving GlobalGAP standards, meeting the stringent quality and traceability requirements of demanding markets.

Nguyen added that all exported lychee batches are now issued cultivation area codes and packing facility codes, ensuring information transparency as required by importing countries. Businesses have also invested significantly in post-harvest processing technology, cold storage systems, and logistics chains to maintain fruit quality during transport.

"Vietnamese lychee is not only consumed by Vietnamese and Asian communities but has gradually penetrated retail chains in the US," Nguyen stated. Beyond fresh fruit exports, many businesses are also investing in processed products such as individually quick frozen (IQF) lychee, dried lychee, juice, and canned lychee to enhance value.

Nguyen further noted that a decrease in China's lychee supply during the May-June period also eased competitive pressure on Vietnamese lychee, facilitating market share expansion in the US and Europe.

Favorable export conditions contributed to high lychee prices this year. The Bac Ninh Department of Industry and Trade reported that prices have ranged from 60,000-90,000 VND per kg since the season began, significantly higher than in previous years.

To date, Bac Ninh has consumed approximately 107,000 tons of lychee, representing over 85% of the season's projected output. Domestic consumption accounted for about 77,000 tons, while exports reached 30,000 tons. Besides China, Bac Ninh lychee is also exported to the US, Japan, Canada, EU, and other markets.

Thanks to high selling prices and favorable consumption markets, Bac Ninh's lychee revenue since the start of the season is estimated at nearly 6 trillion VND, an increase of over 158% compared to the same period in 2025.

According to the Bac Ninh Department of Agriculture and Environment, the locality currently boasts 243 cultivation area codes and 42 packing facilities dedicated to exports. The province has nearly 29,800 hectares of lychee cultivation, with this year's output estimated at 125,000 tons.

Thi Ha