Durian growers in Thailand are looking for a way to use the unopened new-China-Laos high-speed rail to ship the fruit to China. The 400-kilometer-long railway is expected to open to traffic in early December. It will run from Vientiane, the capital of Laos, to the Boding port on the border with China in northern Laos at an average speed of 160 kilometers per hour. From the border, it will connect to Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province in southwest China. Thai fruit growers are very optimistic about this railway because it allows them to enter the lucrative Chinese market through…
Durian growers in Thailand are looking for a way to use the unopened new-China-Laos high-speed rail to ship the fruit to China.
The 400-kilometer-long railway is expected to open to traffic in early December. It will run from Vientiane, the capital of Laos, to the Boding port on the border with China in northern Laos at an average speed of 160 kilometers per hour. From the border, it will connect to Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province in southwest China.
Thai fruit growers are very optimistic about this railway because it allows them to enter the lucrative Chinese market through faster and cheaper connections instead of air freight.
This applies in particular to durian, as it is a fresh fruit that needs to be transported quickly. Lower transportation costs are also conducive to overall cost calculations.
Durian is highly valued by Chinese consumers
In 2020, China imported approximately 575,000 tons of fresh durians, valued at 69 billion baht (US$2.1 billion), with an annual growth rate of 78%, making China Thailand’s largest fresh durian export destination. In addition, Thailand is also China’s largest fruit supplier.
According to industry data, in the context of growing consumer demand in China, Thailand’s durian exports in the first seven months of this year reached 37,148 containers, or 668,664 tons. Since this fruit is very popular in China, the price has also increased by about 50%.
Fruit merchants said that once the high-speed rail is opened, transportation will provide more competitive prices. They also demanded the establishment of a connection between the Thai railway network and the China-Laos railway.
