Vietnam advances market access for passion fruit and pomelo in four major markets

Technical negotiations move forward

Vietnam is accelerating work to secure or expand market access for passion fruit and pomelo in the United States, Japan, China and Australia. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and its Plant Production and Protection Department are handling technical negotiations covering plant health, pest management, food safety and traceability. The effort could diversify sales for growers and processors, but it also raises compliance requirements throughout the supply chain.

Viet Bao reports that the United States is expected to publish an official notice in 2026 allowing imports of Vietnamese passion fruit. Implementation would give exporters access to a large market with demanding phytosanitary, food-safety and quality standards. The report does not provide a confirmed publication date or the final import conditions, leaving exporters dependent on the completion of the US regulatory process.

Japan and China assess phytosanitary controls

Japan has sent experts to Vietnam to supervise large-scale trials concerning fruit flies on pomelo. Results from those trials will support the development of pest-management measures and the technical conditions required to open the Japanese market. For growers and packing companies, commercial access will therefore depend not only on fruit quality but also on the ability to demonstrate effective control of a specific quarantine risk.

Progress with China covers pomelo and fresh lime. A protocol setting phytosanitary requirements for exports from Vietnam was signed on 15 April 2026. Vietnam subsequently supplied images and videos covering 140 growing-area and packing-facility codes at the request of the General Administration of Customs of China. The Plant Production and Protection Department also submitted 221 growing-area codes and 63 packing facilities for approval, according to Viet Bao.

The registration process makes approved production zones and packing sites central to trade. Exporters will need traceable supplies from eligible orchards, while packers must comply with the agreed handling and plant-health procedures. Approval of a larger number of codes could broaden participation, although the source does not state when China will complete its assessment.

Australia receives first shipment

Australia has already authorized imports of Vietnamese pomelo, and the first shipment was exported in April 2026. This moves the Australian route beyond negotiation and into commercial implementation. Shipment continuity will now depend on suppliers consistently meeting import conditions and maintaining documentation across orchards, treatment operations and packing facilities.

The market-opening campaign is backed by a substantial production base. Under Vietnam’s development plan for key fruit crops for 2025-2030, passion fruit area is intended to remain at 12,000-15,000 hectares, with output of 250,000-300,000 tonnes. The Central Highlands account for more than 80% of national passion fruit area and over 90% of production. Vietnam has also approved more than 40 passion fruit varieties for circulation.

Compliance becomes a commercial requirement

Vietnam’s pomelo area currently stands at about 106,000 hectares. Expanding access for this crop will require management of growing-area codes and packing facilities alongside pest control and traceability. These systems determine which producers can supply export programs and make record-keeping and segregation increasingly important for aggregators and processors.

The negotiations are taking place during strong growth in Vietnam’s broader fruit and vegetable trade. Viet Bao puts exports in the first seven months of 2026 at approximately $4.83 billion, an increase of 24.9% from the same period a year earlier. New access for passion fruit and pomelo could add outlets to that growth, but commercial gains will depend on regulatory approvals, compliant supply and the ability of exporters to serve each market’s separate technical rules.