Nga, a resident of Tam Binh Ward in Ho Chi Minh City, was surprised last weekend when staff at a nearby WinMart supermarket offered her Envy apples, graded at four per kilo, for just VND 125,000 (about USD 4.80) per kilo.
The premium apples are often sold in gift boxes and traditionally cost at least VND 200,000 (about USD 7.70) per kilo.
The supermarket also stocked other imported apple varieties at different prices, including some selling for as little as VND 49,000 (about USD 1.90) per kilo.
At wholesale markets, imported fruit can be even cheaper.
At Thu Duc Agricultural and Food Wholesale Market, imported black finger grapes from China, which previously sold for around VND 200,000 (about USD 7.70) per kilo, are now available for just VND 40,000-50,000 (about USD 1.50-1.90) per kilo.
Many imported fruits are now selling at relatively low prices (Photo: Nam Binh).
Nguyen Minh, a trader specialising in imported fruit at the market, said her shop was selling large quantities of peaches from China at prices starting at VND 40,000 (about USD 1.50) per kilo, nearly half the price a year earlier.
“A few years ago, these peaches were mainly brought into Vietnam by air in limited quantities. At one point, they sold for as much as VND 250,000 (about USD 9.60) per kilo, yet still attracted buyers because they were unusual and scarce,” Minh said.
“This year, they are no longer found only in specialist imported-fruit shops but are increasingly available at shops and markets across Ho Chi Minh City.”
Imported yellow oranges are priced at VND 25,000 (about USD 0.97) per kilo, at Thu Duc Wholesale Market (Photo: Nam Binh).
Rising supply and lower import tariffs
The growing popularity of imported fruit comes as agricultural trade between Vietnam and international markets expands. Free trade agreements have made it easier for goods to enter the Vietnamese market.
Nguyen Van Muoi, deputy secretary-general of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (Vinafruit), said the high level of fruit and vegetable imports in the first months of the year reflected seasonal market patterns.
China remains Vietnam’s largest supplier of imported fruit and vegetables, accounting for 40.88 per cent of the market. Imports from China reached USD 136.33 million in August, up 11.4 per cent from July and 63.7 per cent from the same month last year.
In the first eight months of 2026, imports of fruit and vegetables from China totalled around USD 867.16 million, an increase of 51.1 per cent year on year.
The United States ranked second. Imports from the country reached USD 47.5 million in August, down 6 per cent from the previous month but up 41.6 per cent year on year. The total for the first eight months rose 29.7 per cent to USD 504.56 million, accounting for 23.65 per cent of Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable imports.
Muoi said seasonal supply and lower import tariffs had both helped make foreign fruit more price-competitive. Trade agreements, including the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA), have significantly reduced tariffs on many products, in some cases to zero when the relevant conditions are met.
For several products, import tariffs were cut from late March 2025. The rate on fresh apples fell from 8 per cent to 5 per cent, while the rate on cherries dropped from 10 per cent to 5 per cent. Tariffs on in-shell pistachios fell from 15 per cent to 5 per cent, and those on almonds from 10 per cent to 5 per cent.
These rates apply under the most-favoured-nation (MFN) regime, as stipulated in Government Decree 73/2025/ND-CP, dated March 31, 2025.
Meanwhile, under tariff commitments in the ASEAN-China Trade in Goods Agreement (ACFTA), many fruit products imported from China may qualify for a preferential import tariff of zero, provided they meet the applicable product classification and rules-of-origin requirements.
