World Market Overview
Most official national trade statistics do not
provide details on imports of durian. Therefore, world trade
is estimated using export statistics of the three largest supplying
countries: Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia
Malaysia is the largest exporter of fresh durian, with 34,904
MTs exported in 2001. The vast majority (99.7 per cent) of the
country's exports that year went to Singapore. Most remaining
exports are sent to Brunei, Thailand, and the United States.
In 2001, Thailand exported 116,674 MTs of fresh durian and 26,971
MTs of frozen. Hong Kong was the destination for more than half
of Thailand's fresh exports, followed by Malaysia, Taiwan, Canada,
the United States, Singapore, and Indonesia. Almost all Thai
frozen exports were shipped to the United States, Australia,
and Canada.
Markets
Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan are the main importers of durian
worldwide. These three countries account for 90 per cent of
total exports from Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. When shipments
among these three durian-exporting countries are added to their
combined exports to Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, nearly
99 per cent of world trade in fresh durian is accounted for.
Singapore is the largest import market for durian, accounting
for 65 per cent of total exports from the top three supplying
countries. Singapore imports durian from Malaysia twice a year,
firstly in small quantities from December to February, and secondly
in much larger quantities from May to August. Malaysia supplies
most of the total domestic demand. Singapore buys the vast majority
of Malaysia's and Indonesia's durian exports, as well as significant
quantities from Thailand.
Singapore is one of the few importing countries that reports
durian in its official trade statistics. According to these
statistics, Singapore imported 36,745 tons (US$ 30.6 million)
of fresh durian in 1993, although actual imports are probably
slightly higher because Singapore does not report imports from
Indonesia. The majority of fresh durian entered during the periods
February-March and June-August. Thai supply entered exclusively
during the period May-July, primarily in June.
Hong Kong is the second-largest import market for fresh durian
in the world, accounting for 20 per cent of the exports from
the top three supplying countries. The main supplier is Thailand.
Aproximately 99 per cent of the durian imported into the Hong
Kong fruit market comes from Thailand. In 2001, the total Hong
Kong durian import from Thailand stood at 83,537 tons valued
at 1,161 milion baht, an increase of 49 per cent from 2000,
with 55,924 tons valued at 850 million baht.
Taiwan imported 33,170 tons of fresh durian in 2001, mostly
from Thailand, but also small amounts from Indonesia and Malaysia.
Single-layer cartons of durian from Thailand were spotted on
Taiwanese street markets in January 1995.
North America
The United States imports more durian, fresh and frozen, than
any other non-Asian country. Thailand supplies almost all U.S.
demand, although small amounts enter from Malaysia. In 2001,
total U.S durian imported from Thailand stood at 8,334 tons:
fresh durian at 999 tons, frozen durian at 7,243 tons and preserved
durian at 91 tons.
As with most non-Asian countries, demand in Canada is mainly
limited to the Asian immigrant population. There has been very
little cross-over appeal. Importers interviewed in late 1994
reported a preference for large, individual fruit sections,
small seeds, and yellow flesh. As durian has such a short shelf
life and a strong odour, it is diffiuclt to transport by air.
In addition, it cannot be stored below 10oC in case of chill
damage. Sea transport to Canada and the U.S. is unfeasible because
of the vast distances to be covered. These factors mean that
frozen durian accounts for a much larger proportion of sales
in this market than fresh durian. In 2001, total Canadian frozen
durian imports from Thailand stood at 1,511 tons, valued at
490 million baht. Europe
The European market for durian is small, totaling only 52 tons
of fresh durian and 81 tons of frozen durian per year. Importers
interviewed in late 1994 reported only a small demand for durian
by European consumers, mostly from countries with significant
immigrant populations from Southeast Asia (France, the Netherlands,
and the United Kingdom).
France is the largest European importer of fresh and frozen
durian, with imports of 74 tons and 32 tons respectively in
2001. Thailand was the only reported supplier.
The Netherlands imported a total of 97 tons of durian in 2001,
the majority of it frozen at 73 tons, valued at 6.8 milion baht.
In 2001, British imports of fresh durian were estimated at only
49 tons - more than 90 per cent entering from Thailand, and
the remainder from Malaysia. In 2000 total durian import from
Thailand stood at 32 tons. |
