Durian rush in Asia

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Indonesia has launched its first direct export of frozen durians to China, shipping 48 metric tons of the commodity worth $305,000 in December.

The frozen durian products, processed in West Java, were shipped from Tanjung Priok Port in North Jakarta and are bound for Qingdao Port in China.

"This marks the culmination of a long series of processes that took a considerable amount of time and required substantial resources," said Sahat M Panggabean, head of the Indonesian Quarantine Agency, adding the process took nearly two years to complete.

According to the agency, the exports followed market observations which showed a strong Chinese consumer demand for durian with distinctive taste profiles, a segment Indonesia believes it can fill.

Until now, Chinese consumers have largely relied on supplies from neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines for the fruit.

Indonesian exporters, meanwhile, have mainly acted as upstream suppliers to these Southeast Asian countries, which then process, package and reexport the products to China.

To change this dynamic, the Indonesian Quarantine Agency initiated government-to-government talks with China's General Administration of Customs. These talks led China to issue a draft export protocol for Indonesian frozen durian, which was later finalized and signed in May last year by Sun Meijun, Minister of the General Administration of Customs in China, and Sahat, paving the way for direct shipments.

Acting Deputy for Plant Quarantine Drama Panca Putra said traceability was one of the most critical aspects of the export approval process, particularly for frozen durian packing houses.

So far, eight frozen durian packing houses have met the requirements to be designated as export-oriented quarantine installations.

These facilities are authorized to conduct plant health inspections and serve as export hubs for frozen durian shipments to China. Seven are located in Central Sulawesi, while one is in Bogor, West Java. All are registered in the China Import Food Enterprises Registration system.

Secretary General of the Indonesian Durian Plantation Association Aditya Pradewo said business players have welcomed the opening of the Chinese market.

'A giant cake'

"The Chinese market is a giant cake for durian exporters," he said, noting that China's annual durian demand reaches 128 trillion Indonesian rupiah ($8 billion).

With premium varieties such as Bawor, Super Tembaga and Namlung, Indonesia is targeting a 5 to 10 percent market share, potentially generating 6.4 trillion to 12.8 trillion rupiah in foreign exchange earnings annually.

Aditya said that direct exports also significantly reduce logistics costs and offer higher margins, as durian prices in China are currently five to seven times higher than the local prices.

Muchlido Apriliast, owner of PT Zarafa Ridho Lestari, an exporter of durians, echoed this view, saying Indonesian exporters previously routed frozen durian shipments through Thailand at a cost of around $18,000 per container.

Direct exports under the new protocol have reduced logistics costs by up to $10,000 to $11,000 per container, saving roughly $8,000 per shipment.

Under the protocol, frozen durian products that can be exported include pulp, puree and whole durian derived from fresh, ripe Indonesian durian that has undergone quick freezing.

Data from the Indonesian Quarantine Agency shows Indonesia exported 10,162 tons of durian between January and November 2025.

Major destinations included Thailand (6,003 tons), China (2,574 tons) and Malaysia (1,532 tons), besides smaller shipments to Hong Kong, Germany and other markets.

THE JAKARTA POST, INDONESIA