Indonesia Enters China’s Durian Market with First Direct Frozen Export

Jakarta: Indonesia has officially shipped its first direct export of frozen durian to China, totaling 48 tons, following the implementation of a bilateral export protocol between the two countries.

The Indonesian Agricultural Quarantine Agency (Barantin) released the shipment from Citereup, Bogor, on Monday. Barantin Head Sahat M. Panggabean said the export, valued at Rp5,1 billion or about USD306,000, marked a major breakthrough for Indonesia’s durian industry.

“This is the realization of Indonesia’s first frozen durian export to China. It is the result of a long process that required substantial time and resources,” Panggabean said in an official statement, quoted from Antara, Tuesday 16 December 2025.

The frozen durians, processed in West Java, were shipped through Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta and are destined for Qingdao Port in China.

Previously, Indonesian durian exports to China were conducted indirectly through neighboring countries, where the fruit was processed and repackaged before entering the Chinese market. The government-to-government cooperation with the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), formalized through the signing of a frozen durian export protocol on May 25, 2025, has now enabled direct shipments.

Barantin data show that between January and November 2025, Indonesia exported 10.162 tons of durian in various forms, including pulp, paste, and whole fruit. The main destinations were Thailand with 6.003 tons, China with 2.574 tons, Malaysia with 1.532 tons, Hong Kong with 15 tons, and Germany with six tons. Other export destinations included Japan, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Canada, the United States, and Norway.

Secretary General of the Indonesian Durian Plantation Association (Apdurin) Aditya Pradewo welcomed the direct export access to China, noting that the Chinese durian market is valued at around USD8 billion, or approximately Rp128 trillion, annually.

“With premium varieties such as Bawor, Super Tembaga, and Namlung, Indonesia has the potential to capture 5 to 10 percent of the Chinese market,” he said, adding that such a share could generate foreign exchange earnings of Rp6,4 trillion to Rp12,8 trillion per year.

Pradewo added that direct exports significantly reduce logistics costs and deliver greater economic benefits for farmers and exporters. He noted that durian prices in China are currently five to seven times higher than domestic prices, creating strong incentives to expand exports.